News across Greater Champaign
Unmade plays haunt Illini in Big Ten opener against Buckeyes
Illinois (2-2, 0-1) walked away from Ohio Stadium following its 42-19 loss to Ohio State (3-1, 1-0) with few highlights. The offense collected 462 yards — including nearly 200 on the ground. Junior punter Lars Rau and fifth-year kicker Ethan Moczulski impressed on special teams.…
Third annual bat festival celebrates bats, bugs, science
The third annual Central Illinois Bat Festival kicked off Saturday afternoon at Anita Purves Nature Center to raise awareness and enthusiasm for bats. This year’s theme was “Backyard Bugs and Bats.” The free, two-part celebration brought together talks from bat experts, guided…
UPDATED: Coroner identifies body found near Alma Mater
UPDATE — Monday, 7:32 p.m. UIPD confirmed Monday afternoon that the body found near Alma Mater Monday morning was 29-year-old Alex Rodriguez. According to the press release, officers found Rodriguez on a concrete bench at approximately 6:42 a.m. The Champaign County Coroner’s…
UI computer science professors discuss growing AI safety concerns
Artificial intelligence industry experts are expressing increasing concern in recent weeks about the growth of AI, calling on governments to slow down development and increase safety measures. Gov. JB Pritzker announced Tuesday the creation of an Illinois AI Cabinet to assess…
How is UI trying to lower textbook and course material costs?
As more textbooks shift from physical to digital and professors use more free resources, costs for students have dropped dramatically — by half nationally since 2007. The University has taken steps to keep up with the trend, such as expanding its Day1Access program. In most…
Column | Notebook from Illinois’ conference-opening defeat
Score vs. stats While Illinois (2-2, 0-1) lost handily to No. 5 Ohio State (3-1, 1-0) 42-19, the stats told a different story. The Illini racked up 462 yards of offense and averaged 6.5 yards per play, not far behind the Buckeyes 518 yards and 7.6 yards per play. Eight of…
Body found near Alma Mater
A man was found dead Monday morning near Alma Mater, according to UIPD. UIPD is currently investigating. The body was found at approximately 6:42 a.m. A UIPD spokesperson wrote in an email to The Daily Illini that the preliminary investigation suggests there is no ongoing threat…
Obituary: Samuel Baird
Hudson- Samuel Lee Baird ,88, passed away on September 25, 2026 at Carle BroMenn Medical Center of Normal, IL.Samuel was born on April 19, 1938, in Danville, Illinois, the son of Samuel Baird and Genarie Mae (Lee) Baird. He graduated from Paxton High School and later built a long…
Anamanaguchi electrifies PYGMALION Day 3, Downtown Batman appears
On a warm September evening, Anamanaguchi sparked its set off with electronic beats and rock riffs in the outdoor area of the Rose Bowl Tavern Saturday night. Opening for Anamanaguchi was Covet, a female-fronted math-rock group that flexed its intricate guitar skills for the…
Illinois parts ways with defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck after 4 games
According to a press release from Illinois (2-2, 0-1), defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck and the program have parted ways after just four games. Hauck, a longtime head coach at Montana, was hired this offseason to implement a new 3-3-5 defensive scheme. “Coach Hauck reached out…
Opinion | The financial hierarchy — how wealth has overridden the integrity in naming the Kennedy Center
Infrastructure should maintain its assigned name. Grocery stores should be labeled as grocery stores, forest preserves should be labeled as forest preserves and cafes should be labeled as cafes. Titles allow us to learn about infrastructure before dedicating time to an in-depth…
Visualized: UI welcomes largest-ever first-year class
On Sept. 9, the University released a report on first-year enrollment for Fall 2026. The annual report describes the demographic information, residency status and academic profiles of incoming students. Notably, this year’s report reveals that the incoming freshmen class is the…