The University of Illinois at Urban-Champaign claim to have a super-strong intercollegiate athletic team called the Illinois Fighting Illini, fielding 10 men’s and 11 women’s varsity teams including volleyball, baseball, basketball, hockey, swimming, gymnastics and tennis. They participate in the NCAA’s Division 1 and are a member of the prestigious Big Ten Conference. The university terms its sports team, the Illinois Fighting Illini. Chief Illiniwek, commonly known as The Chief, was the University’s earliest official athletic symbol from 1926 though the year 2007.The University of Illinois is well known in running several athletic venues and facilities, the Assembly Hall for men’s and women’s basketball, University of Illinois Ice Arena for the ice hockey team, Memorial Stadium for football and for men’s and women’s tennis it provides the Atkins Tennis Center. The Illini compete with 11 other intercollegiate mid western university teams. If you want to attend a spirited match then the Illinois Fighting Illini tickets are sure to bring you one.

The athletics team made its reputation back in 1910 when the Illinois students won from the University of Chicago Maroons with a sparkling immaculate score of 3-0 in a game that marked the first homecoming game. Recently, in 2007, the Fighting Illini who had no real standing in football, won from the Ohio State football team, which is reputed to be invincible. According to the Illinois University, the Illinois Fighting Illini has won a remarkable twenty-five National championships since the year 1900. Though to put to the contradiction, since 1958 the team has evidently won only two. In the year 2005, the football Illini team ranked as the National runner up.

Another exciting feature of the athletic team is the college ice hockey team that participates in the ACHA Division 1 Level. The Illinois Fighting Illini men’s basketball reached the finals of the Big Ten Tournament in which the team took the 9th place. This was an unexpected blow to the team since it left the team out of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the year 1999. In the memorable year of 2004-2005 the Illini earned 37-2 thus claiming the NCAA record for the most victorious match. Currently the team’s head coach for basketball is Bruce Weber. The colorful fighting song of the vibrant orange and blue uniformed Illinois Fighting Illini is Illinois Loyalty and Oskee Wow, Wow. The current athletics director is Mike Thomas.

The Illinois men’s Tennis team goes back to 1908, the year in which it was founded. However the team did not experience any significant scoring until recent years. The Illinois Fighting Illini has been credited to have the most notable men’s tennis team in the entire nation according to its ranking for the past fifteen seasons. It has claimed victory in 9 out of 10 Big Ten Championships through the years 1997 to 2005. The prestigious team has also won the ITA National Team Indoor Championship twice in 2003 and 2004. If you have not yet attended one of the Illini matches then get up, grab those Illinois Fighting Illini tickets and catch them in their the next stadium big act.