04/12/2026
It has been a week since our semifinal game against UConn, and I keep thinking about how much fun it was to watch the Illini this basketball season! We had what I think is the biggest turnout in our club history as 135 Illini fans packed into Jack & Ginger's at the Domain. We had 60 for the Elite 8 game against Iowa, but the Final Four was definitely meant to be watched with a crowd! We usually gather in the back area by the big tv, but we had fans at the bar, at the side room, in the back patio...if you were there, then you know that it was wall-to-wall Illini!
The game didn't have the outcome we hoped for, but I can't help but admire Brad and all of the players with how they have focused only on the positives - the accomplishments this season and the joy of playing together. Brad talked about how this basketball team brought people together all season, and it made me think about all the new friends I made during this game watch, along with seeing familiar faces from past game watches.
We had two former Illini quarterbacks with John and Kirkland; a table of Steves; the Rogers Park crowd; Rachel, a regular attendee who brought her dad; Brian and Morgan who were on vacation from Springfield...you would have won the award for traveling the farthest, but the couple that is relocating from Amsterdam takes that prize; Tim, who became a club member; Galen, Jaci, Laura and Kevin from the club's board; we could hear Barbara and George cheering loudly from home; Dustin, Matt, David, Pat and the guys I text with regularly during all Illini basketball games...and over a hundred more! It was great to see everyone!
I still think back to when I first found out about this club. It was March of 2020, and my family and I were looking for a place to watch the final game of the Big Ten hoops season between Illinois and Iowa. Everyone was really welcoming, and I joined the club on the spot. Little did anyone know that two days later, the world would come to a halt and we'd all be isolated. I've enjoyed organizing the game watches since then, it is always a joy cheering on the Illini with fellow fans!
In addition to getting together for game watches, we also get together each May for a dinner during which we award scholarships to some local area students who will be attending the great University of Illinois. If you're interested in joining the club, here is the link:
https://greateraustin.illiniclub.org/memsub.html
Let's hope we can keep the core of this hoops team together for next season and add a few players through the portal. Thanks again to everyone who came to the game watch, hope to see you next fall when football season kicks off, and most importantly...
GO ILLINI!!!
