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TCR Talks With the Illinois Fan Council

After their inaugural meeting, TCR was able to ask a member of the council some questions about their very first meeting.

By Brad Repplinger
Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

There is a dark, cavernous room somewhere in Champaign-Urbana that is only accessible by a fingerprint and retina scan.  To say that it is mysterious and secret is quite the understatement, but that didn't stop 22 brave souls from venturing into this top secret venue.  What was their purpose you ask?  These 22 people were appointed by the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics to assemble into the group named The Illinois Fan Council.

The concept of this "mythical" fan council idea was borrowed from the University of Wisconsin, and was brought to CU in order to accommodate fan suggestions and to improve the atmosphere of the Illini gameday experience.  Fans were given the opportunity to apply for a position on the council based upon multiple demographics.  Of the 37 total people chosen, 25 are from the CU area, and the remaining 12 are from the Chicagoland area.  30 of the 37 are season ticket holders, 25 are alumni, 10 are non-alumni, and 2 are current students.  In the future, other councils will develop in other areas of the state with the goal of building Illini awareness across the state.

The Champaign Room was able to contact one of the two students about their experience in the first meeting of the newly developed fan council, and asked a few questions about the topics that were covered.

FighitngIllini.com's official report of the fan council's first meeting can be found HERE.

TCR: To open the meeting, DIA asked the council what their favorite Illini moments were.  What was/is your favorite Illini moment?

Fan Council Member (FCM): My favorite Illini moment was the rain delayed game earlier this fall (I don't even remember who the opponent was [Texas State]). The Marching Illini is my family and to get to spend that much more time with them was exhausting but very fun. It was something that we had never experienced before. But the best part about that game was when the stadium was empty after the game and we took the field to perform again. Halftime was cut short, so we performed 3-in-1 under the lights, with our victory signaling white capes. It was amazing to hear those notes echo through the stadium after a victory, but even more amazing to be part of a performance that would only ever happen once-literally a "once in a lifetime" moment.

TCR: In relation to game attendance for football, volleyball, and basketball; What were some of the ideas proposed by DIA and the council to help put more butts-in-seats? Any talk of promotional giveaways? (We like rally towels and t-shirts...)

FCM: There was a lot of talk about the tailgating aspect of football games that many schools have done away with. The older members of the fan council are upset that the parking lots closest to the stadium always seem to be empty and that there is no tailgating culture. The members of DIA talked of plans to redo lot 36, the expensive grass lot. They are going to close it in, like the other side with the practice field, and turn it into a mass tailgate area- think The Grove at Ole' Miss. That way fans, students, parents, anyone can come down and get food, set up tents, possibly get some beer and there will be a central tailgating spot. There are talks of a permanent stage where the MI could perform, they could bring in people and even hold outdoor concerts, but I'm not sure on those logistics...

TCR: Moving over to stadium atmosphere, what are your thoughts on the music that has been played over the speakers in Memorial Stadium/Huff Hall/SFC?  Also, what is your opinion of the overall tailgate scene during football season?

FCM: Tailgate scene- refer to 2. I wholeheartedly agree on making our own version of the grove

Music- As a four year member of both the Marching Illini and Basketball band and 3 years in volleyball band, I love playing at games. It's amazing. But there are times, especially in MI that PA music needs to be played. As we try to move 350 people into the stands, there is no way that having the band play for kickoffs would represent the organization. We take pride in our "Illinois Sound" and having 15 people in stands at those transition times does not represent who we are, what we do, or the university well. As a student, I enjoy the current mix of band music and PA music because I get to play a lot and perform, as well as get rowdy and cheer at the games.

TCR: How did you interact with the other council members and DIA staff at the meeting?  Who did most of the talking?  The fan council, or DIA?

FCM: The fan council lead the conversation. It started with DIA talking but it was mostly people reminiscing about their times at Memorial Stadium when it was packed. They talked about what was happening in the parking lots and things that happened to make their fond memories. There were people from DIA taking notes and they wrote down everything we said. It was neat for the head members of DIA to admit that they were new, so they needed our help in honoring the Illinois traditions.

TCR: How would you rate the first meeting of the fan council on a scale from 1 to 10? (1- waste of my time, 10- BEST. THING. EVER.)

FCM: 7-no monumental discoveries were made in how to fill the stadium and the farm, but it was a great chance to represent the "populations" I belong to and to be heard. It was nice to know that DIA really wants to make gameday better for the fans, which is why they are asking us.

TCR: In their article, DIA announced that they gave you homework!  Is there anything you would like to mention or anything we can do to help?

FCM: Realize that the marketing team doesn't control the outcome of the game. =)   But seriously, we have seen that when we pack the stands Illinois wins. And by sharing our game memories and by being at games each person can honestly say that there is a difference between going to a game and watching it on TV or online. So as true Illini fans we need to be that, true fans. We have to be at the games, packing the stands and staying until the clock hits 0.0. If we continue to support our student athletes in a positive game atmosphere then the victories will follow.

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So what do you think?  Obviously there are attempts being made by the athletic program to improve the overall fan experience at the University of Illinois.  With the renovation of the State Farm Center and the previous addition of new video boards in Memorial Stadium, the program is trying to create a winning atmosphere in the stands.  But as we all know, the only thing you need to create a winning atmosphere is a quality product on the field.

What questions do you have?  Anything else you want to know about the council?  Leave your comments below and tell us what you think should be improved about the gameday atmosphere at the University of Illinois.