Saturday’s column from CBS Chicago …
(CBS) Come 2013, the Illini are coming to town.
Get used to it, Chicago, because it’s going to be happening often – and not just for football games.
At least, that’s my strong suspicion as the University of Illinois forges ahead behind the captainship of athletic director Mike Thomas, who has made it clear as he enters his second year that he wants the state’s flagship school to plant its flag in the heart of the Windy City.
This week, Thomas announced that Illinois has switched next season’s nonconference matchup against the University of Washington from Memorial Stadium in Champaign to Soldier Field. The Illini will now “host” the Huskies in Chicago on Sept. 14, 2013, the school’s first game on the Bears’ turf since 1994.
“This is a great opportunity for our football team to play in one of the most historic football venues in the nation,” Thomas said this week. “Soldier Field is in an incredible location that will allow our fans in the Chicagoland area and from around the state an opportunity to watch the Fighting Illini take on an outstanding Pac-12 opponent in Washington.”
When news of the rejiggered schedule broke, one of my friends – a longtime Illini season ticket holder who lives in Bourbonnais – expressed concern about Illinois giving up an actual home game and taking an appealing matchup away from the fans in Champaign.
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