My Feb. 14 column from CBS Chicago …
(CBS) It’s Valentine’s Day, and I’m feeling the love.
Yes, for my wife, of course. But also for the University of Illinois’ football scheduling, which I think is pretty sweet.
And while Illini athletic director Mike Thomas hasn’t yet earned his recent raise and contract extension based on the overall production of his hand-picked football and basketball coaches, he does deserve a pat on the pack for what he’s done with future scheduling for the pigskin program.
On Tuesday, Illinois announced that it has agreed to a home-and-home series with Connecticut in 2019 and 2020. This comes on the heels of announcements last year that the Illini will face North Carolina in 2015-16, South Florida in 2017-18, Virginia in 2021-22 and Kansas in 2023-24.
Last fall, before Thomas had even finalized the UConn and Kansas contracts, I wrote that if someday the Illini football program – arguably the most underachieving in the nation – ever does enjoy achievement on a consistent basis, we very well might look back on this time as when the groundwork for that was laid.
Continue reading at CBSChicago.com …