CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) – I know that Tennessee loss will sting for a bit, but the U of I men’s basketball team and its fans have plenty to be excited about heading into 2025. They aren’t alone. The football team secured a New Year’s Eve Cheez-It Citrus Bowl invite against South Carolina to top off a successful 2024 season. The Women’s basketball team heads into 2025 just outside the rankings, having previously spent multiple weeks inside the Top 25, a huge accomplishment considering the state of the program just a couple of years ago before the hiring of head coach Shauna Green.
All in all, if you’re a fan of U of I athletics, you should be feeling pretty good. In the NIL and transfer portal era, it’s not easy to navigate the treacherous terrain that leads to successful team building. Before the beginning of the men’s basketball season, the big question from most of my Illini fan friends was not necessarily how good will they be, but who are these guys? The revolving door in collegiate recruiting definitely has made things tricky, and judging by the early returns, the U of I Athletic Department and its teams/staff have found a way to adapt and succeed.
Big-money sports will always get most the hype, but U of I spent 2024 and, in many cases, putting out competitive programs to represent the university. The golf, tennis, and gymnastics teams, in particular stand out, but overall, the U of I’s athletic department is providing competitive and respected teams and individuals to the collegiate athletic scene, which is the expectation.
This is a testament to the job Athletic Director Josh Whitman has done, along with all the head/assistant coaches, countless other “behind the scenes” staff and of course the young men and women who compete for the orange and blue.
Things are, and have been, trending up but it will be an ongoing challenge to establish consistency in this new era of college sports. With the trajectory as it is, it seems that the U of I has the right people in place to give them a shot at that consistency and give fans something to cheer on as each new year arrives.