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Column | How the Illini can take down the No. 7 Buckeyes
After closing out its non-conference slate 2-1, Illinois is finally going on the road to open up Big Ten play against none other than No. 7 Ohio State (2-1). While the Illini enter this matchup as scrappy underdogs, anything is possible in college football. “A tremendous…

Illinois doubles up on Ivy League at Chowderfest
The Illini sent four competitors to compete in the three-day Harvard Chowderfest this weekend. Sophomore David Bakonyi, freshman Jon Gamble, freshman Nicholas Mekhael and senior Colson Wells all competed in singles and doubles. Bakonyi paired with Nebraska transfer Wells for this…

TODAY IN HISTORY
Today is Wednesday, Sept. 23, the 266th day of 2026. There are 99 days left in the year. Today in history: On Sept. 23, 1952, Republican Sen. Richard M. Nixon of California salvaged his vice presidential nomination by appearing on TV from Los Angeles to refute allegations of…

Bielema speaks on roster budget discrepancy
Pay to win is no longer a phrase that applies only to video games. Last week, David Ubben, a reporter for The Athletic, released a story about how much each Power Four college football program spent on its roster. The Ohio State topped the Big Ten, spending approximately $49-54…

Spurlock Museum returns 201 cultural artifacts to Peru
Spurlock Museum is currently facilitating the repatriation of 201 Peruvian artifacts, in partnership with Peru’s Ministry of Culture. Museum Registrar Dery Martínez-Bonilla stated that this is the largest repatriation effort that Spurlock has undertaken, out of at least six…

Illinois sweeps Arkansas, Arkansas State to finish nonconference slate
With Big Ten play around the corner, Illinois (8-3) couldn’t have asked for a better end to its nonconference slate. Illinois swept both Arkansas (8-3) and Arkansas State (4-7) at the Arkansas State Invitational on Saturday and Sunday. The Illini kicked off the weekend with a…

Collin Dixon catches two more TD passes, Illinois beats Southern Illinois 48-10
By STEVE STEIN Associated Press CHAMPAIGN (AP) — Katin Houser threw two second-quarter touchdown passes to Collin Dixon to lead Illinois past Southern Illinois 48-10 on Saturday. Dixon caught eight passes for 131 yards for the Illini (2-1), who opened the season with three home…

Illinois’ Aidan Laughery scores career-long touchdown in win over Southern Illinois
CHAMPAIGN – Illinois fifth-year senior running back Aidan Laughery entered Saturday’s game against Southern Illinois with eight career rushing touchdowns. Laughery, a 2022 Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley graduate, scored his ninth touchdown via a career-long 77-yard run along the left…

‘We had to flush that’: Illinois bounces back against SIU
“We had to flush that,” said fifth-year defensive back Xavier Scott after last week’s loss to Duke (3-0). That’s exactly what Illinois (2-1) did against SIU (2-2) Saturday. On a hot, humid afternoon, the Illini cruised to a 48-10 victory over the Salukis in a much-needed…

Gies Memorial Stadium’s new video display raises light pollution concerns
Gies Memorial Stadium’s new video display — the largest in college football — has received mixed reactions from students and community members because of its brightness since its debut. It made its public debut on Aug. 8, and it had its football game debut on Sept. 3. While some,…

Congressional candidate Jeff Wilson talks energy production, backs Trump
Jeff Wilson, Republican candidate for Illinois’ 13th Congressional District, is running on a platform of increasing energy generation, decreasing federal debt, securing American borders and bringing back “Lincoln-esque values” to central Illinois. The Daily Illini spoke with…

Opinion | America is on track, but is Amtrak?
In 1956, the U.S. Congress, along with support from President Dwight D. Eisenhower, passed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 — changing Americans’ reliance on automobile transportation for generations to come. Founded in 1970, Amtrak began operations in 1971, hoping to inspire…