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====Basketball: Men====
====Basketball: Men====
{{main|Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball}}
{{main|Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball}}
*''National Champions'': 1915 (Awarded in 1936 by the [[Helms Athletic Foundation]])
*''National Champions'': 1915 ([[Mythical National Championship|Mythical National Championship]])
*''NCAA Final Four'': 1949, 1951, 1952, 1989, 2005
*''NCAA Final Four'': 1949, 1951, 1952, 1989, 2005
*''Big Ten Champions'': 1915, 1917, 1924, 1935, 1937, 1942, 1943, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1963, 1984, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005
*''Big Ten Champions'': 1915, 1917, 1924, 1935, 1937, 1942, 1943, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1963, 1984, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005

Revision as of 23:50, 4 June 2007

Illinois Fighting Illini
Logo
UniversityUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
ConferenceBig Ten
DivisionDivision I
Athletic directorRon Guenther
LocationChampaign, Illinois
Varsity teams21 (10 men's, 11 women's)
Football stadiumMemorial Stadium (Champaign)
ArenaAssembly Hall (Champaign)
MascotNone
NicknameFighting Illini
Fight songIllinois Loyalty, Oskee Wow Wow
ColorsOrange and Blue
   
Websitefightingillini.cstv.com

The Fighting Illini (also known as The Illini) are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The University offers 10 men's and 11 women's varsity sports.

The University operates a number of athletic facilities, including Memorial Stadium for football, the Assembly Hall for men's basketball, and the Atkins Tennis Center for men's and women's tennis. The Fighting Illini won over twenty five National Championships dating back to 1900. However, the Illini have won just two National Championships since 1958 — Men's Tennis in 2003 and Men's Gymnastics in 1989.

Organization

The University's Division of Intercollegiate Athletics administers the official athletics teams of the University. All of the University's athletics teams participate in the NCAA's Division I, and form the Big Ten Conference with 10 other primarily midwestern universities. The football team participates in a subdivision within the Division I known as Division I-A.

Men's Sports

Baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross country, football, golf, gymnastics, tennis, track and field, and wrestling.

Women's Sports

Basketball, cheerleading, cross country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.

Athletic Accomplishments

Baseball

  • Big Ten Champions: 1900, 1903, 1904, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1910, 1911, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1921, 1922, 1927, 1931, 1934, 1937, 1940, 1947, 1948, 1952, 1953, 1962, 1963, 1989, 1990, 1998, 2005

Basketball: Men

Main article: Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball
  • National Champions: 1915 (Mythical National Championship)
  • NCAA Final Four: 1949, 1951, 1952, 1989, 2005
  • Big Ten Champions: 1915, 1917, 1924, 1935, 1937, 1942, 1943, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1963, 1984, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005
  • Big Ten Tournament Champions: 2003, 2005

Basketball: Women

  • Big Ten Champions: 1997

Cross Country: Men

  • Big Ten Champions: 1921, 1947, 1984

Fencing: Men

  • National Champions: 1958

Football

Main article: Illinois Fighting Illini football

Golf: Men

  • Big Ten Champions: 1923, 1927, 1930, 1931, 1940, 1941, 1988

Gymnastics: Men

  • NCAA National Champions: 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1950, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1989
  • Big Ten Champions: 1911, 1912, 1929, 1935, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1981, 1983, 1988, 1989, 2004

Gymnastics: Women

  • Big Ten Champions: 1990

Swimming and Diving: Men

  • Big Ten Champions: 1911, 1912, 1913

Tennis: Men

Main article: Illinois Fighting Illini men's tennis
  • NCAA National Champions: 2003
  • Big Ten Champions: 1914, 1917, 1922, 1924, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1932, 1946, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
  • Big Ten Tournament Champions: 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005

Track and Field: Men

INDOOR

  • NCAA National Champions: 1921, 1926, 1943, 1945, 1946
  • Big Ten Champions: 1912, 1913, 1914, 1916, 1920, 1921, 1924, 1928, 1946, 1947, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1958, 1977, 1981, 1987, 1988, 1989

OUTDOOR

  • NCAA National Champions': 1921, 1927,[2] 1944, 1946, 1947
  • Big Ten Champions: 1907, 1909, 1913, 1914, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1934, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1975, 1977, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1994

Track and Field: Women

INDOOR

  • Big Ten Champions: 1989, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996

OUTDOOR

  • Big Ten Champions: 1988, 1989, 1992, 1995, 2005, 2007

Volleyball

  • Big Ten Champions: 1986, 1987, 1988, 1992

Wrestling

  • Big Ten Champions: 1913, 1917, 1920, 1922, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1930, 1932, 1935, 1937, 1946, 1947, 1952, 2005

Famous athletes

Noteworthy teams

Men's Basketball: 1988-1989 season

Overall record: (31-5)

Head coach: Lou Henson

Story: Ranked #1 during the regular season. Known for their athletic style. Defeated in the Final Four of the 1989 NCAA Tournament, by the Michigan Wolverines even though they had defeated them twice during the regular season. Michigan went on to win the National Championship.

Men's Basketball: 2004-2005 season

Overall record (tournaments included): 37-2

Regular season: 29-1

Big Ten Conference play: 15-1

Head coach: Bruce Weber

Starters:

Story: The first Illinois men's basketball team to be ranked number one in the polls since Lou Henson's "Flying Illini" of 1989. Illinois won the Big Ten Tournament and were the overall number one seed in the 2005 NCAA Tournament, eventually losing to the University of North Carolina in the finals, 75-70. This Illinois team tied the NCAA record for most wins in a season with 37 and was undefeated until losing the final game of the regular season at Ohio State by the score of 64-65.

Symbol and controversy

Main article: Chief Illiniwek

A symbol of the University's athletic teams was, until recently, a Native American figure, Chief Illiniwek, who sparked significant controversy. Critics of the symbol claimed that it was a racist stereotype, while supporters claimed that it was unoffensive and is a source of pride for a majority of students and alumni. Recently, after past Sioux elder, Frank Fools Crow, sold an authentic ceremonial costume and headdress to the university, the Oglala Sioux tribe has demanded the costume and headdress back from the university[1]. The University was deeply divided on this issue; while some of the faculty condemned the symbol, the administration remained supportive of it. While some view the Chief as reverence to the Native American heritage of Illinois, others view it as a symbol of oppression to Native Americans that took place in past American history. The University Board of Trustees announced on February 16, 2007 that the Chief's last public performance would be the final home game of the 2006-2007 Men's Basketball season. Lawrence C. Eppley, Chairman of the University Board of Trustees, was responsible for making the decision as to whether or not Chief Illiniwek would remain a school symbol. In the past, the entire board, consisting of 11 voting members, had voted to keep the chief as the Illini symbol. The name "Fighting Illini" was retained, as the NCAA rescinded its criticism of the use of the term. Debate continues over the team name, with the University arguing that it is derived from the name of the state, not necessarily the Native American group of the same name. At the Chief's last performance on Wed., February 21, 2007, students wore black to honor and mourn the chief's final performance.

References

  1. ^ http://www.ncaa.org/champadmin/ia_football_past_champs.html
  2. ^ The Illini were voted unofficial National Champions in 1927, since the NCAA did not hold a National Championship competition that year.

See also

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