Today’s column from CBS Chicago …
(CBS) There are more than 20,000 seats inside the United Center.
But Saturday afternoon, when the 12th-ranked Fighting Illini basketball team tips off against the Auburn Tigers, only about 13,000 of them are expected to be filled.
For an athletic department that has declared its designs on becoming “the king of Chicago,” that’s not exactly a crowning achievement for the University of Illinois. But, really, what do you expect when you schedule a game against a 5-6 basketball team from a “football school” that just lost at home to mighty Winthrop?
Fact is, my cell phone set to vibrate creates more of a buzz in Chicago than Auburn does.
Last week, I wrote a column urging Illinois to schedule the Kentucky Wildcats for a series at the United Center. I’ve earlier suggested bringing Notre Dame to the UC as a foe, while others have pushed for Marquette. However, according to reports, neither the Irish nor the Golden Eagles are said to be keen on such a matchup.
So what’s Illinois to do?
Continue reading at CBSChicago.com …