Illinois
Illinois football is bowl-bound. See where the Fighting Illini are projected to play
Schedule video for the 2024 Illinois Fighting Illini football team
Here is who Illinois will play in the 2024 college football season, from its opener vs. Eastern Illinois to the season finale at Wrigley Field.
As we approach Week 9 of the 2024 college football season, Illinois football is deep into Big Ten Conference play.
The No. 21-ranked Fighting Illini (6-1, 3-1 B10) are coming off a huge 21-7 home victory against Michigan and now have a weekend date with newly minted No. 1 Oregon at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.
Illinois’ lone loss of the season was a 21-7 loss on the road against current No. 3 Penn State. The Illini have won two since and overall have three victories against ranked teams.
Bret Bielema: Where Illinois football coach ranks in pay in USA TODAY annual report
With momentum on their side right now, let’s take a look at bowl game projections for Week 9 and see where analysts see the Fighting Illini spending bowl season.
Full list of Illinois football bowl projections
- Citrus Bowl: Illinois vs. Alabama, Dec. 31, Orlando, Fla. (Bleacher Report)
- Citrus Bowl: Illinois vs. Alabama, Dec. 31, Orlando, Fla. (College Football News)
- Citrus Bowl: Illinois vs. Texas A&M, Dec. 31, in Orlando, Fla. (ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura)
- Citrus Bowl: Illinois vs. LSU, Dec. 31, in Orlando, Fla. (ESPN’s Mark Schlabach)
- Citrus Bowl: Illinois vs. LSU, Dec. 31, in Orlando, Fla. (247 Sports)
- Duke’s Mayo Bowl: Illinois vs. Louisville,Jan. 30, in Charlotte, N.C. (Action Network’s Brett McMurphy)
- Music City Bowl: Illinois vs. Arkansas, Dec. 30, in Nashville, Tenn. (CBS Sports)
- Music City Bowl: Illinois vs. South Carolina, Dec. 30, in Nashville, Tenn. (Athlon Sports)
- ReliaQuest Bowl: Illinois vs. Texas A&M, Dec. 31, Tampa, Fla. (USA Today)
Illinois
Catching up with Illinois State after huge playoff upset victory
Illinois State Redbirds pulled off the comeback of the year and maybe all-time this past Saturday.
ISU, who were 23-point underdogs, rallied from 14 points down with three minutes to go to knock off No. 1-ranked and defending champion North Dakota State in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs in Fargo, North Dakota.
Quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse overcame five interceptions to engineer the huge 29-28 upset.
Head coach Brock Spack and Arlington Heights receiver Dan Sobkowicz, who caught the game-winning touchdown, discussed the team’s spirit following the win.
“I had 142 texts, and so, I answered every single one of em, how about that. Either with a fist bump or thumbs up or ‘thank you very much,’ I answered every one,” Spack said. “Our players persevered, and they never lost. You can tell this is a different vibe. They just never lost confidence that they were going to win. To have five turnovers, and to be able to survive that and win, and beat these guys like that is amazing.”
“Obviously, it was a really good scrambler,” Sobkowicz said. “Just kinda wanted to make something happen, I mean, he found me, and, uh, obviously, I didn’t really think much of it, honestly, at that play right after, but words can’t really explain how much that meant. I think it’s just a cool moment that I’m probably never going to forget.”
The Redbirds will play UC-Davis Saturday in the FCS quarterfinals.
Illinois
Pritzker signs new Illinois law seeking to limit immigration enforcement at schools, daycares
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has officially signed into a law a bill that would seek to limit immigration enforcement at colleges, daycares, courthouses and more.
Under provisions of HB 1312, which was signed into law Tuesday, enhanced protections are expected to be put into place on those institutions, as well as at hospitals and other entities.
Pritzker signed the bill after “Operation: Midway Blitz” resulted in more than 3,000 arrests around the Chicago area this year, with more immigration enforcement expected as the Trump administration continues to step up its efforts.
“Dropping your kid off at day care, going to the doctor, or attending your classes should not be a life-altering task,” Pritzker said at the bill signing ceremony. “Illinois, in the face of cruelty and intimidation, has chosen solidarity and support.”
One piece of the bill prohibits schools from threatening to disclose the citizenship or immigration status of any employee, student or contractor without consent.
Schools will also be required to provide information on their websites about who employees and students should speak to if an immigration enforcement agent attempts to enter a school campus or engages in “nonconsensual interactions with members of the school community,” according to the text of the bill.
“Education allows our communities to progress and build a better life – an essential part of the American dream. Pursing an education is a right that should not be threatened by armed, masked federal agents on our college campuses,” said State Sen. Karina Villa in a statement. “Many immigrant parents dream of the day their child graduates from college. That goal is what makes all of their sacrifices and labor worth it. In Illinois, we will defend that dream.”
Campus communities will also be notified when immigration enforcement activity occurs on campus, according to Sen. Villa’s office.
The bill also creates a “Court Access, Safety and Participation Act,” which aims to protect residents from civil arrest if they are attending a state court proceeding, or if they are going to or returning from such a proceeding. That includes if a party is a plaintiff or defendant in a case, or if they are a witness or accompanying a participant in the proceeding.
The bill permits individuals to seek civil damages against anyone violating that provision of the law.
Hospitals under the act will be required to adopt and implement policies regarding interactions between law enforcement agents and patients, and will be required to post those policies on their websites.
Immigration enforcement agents will also be required to present valid identification and signed judicial warrants to access licensed daycare centers under provisions of the act, according to officials.
Finally, the bill allows residents to file lawsuits against immigration enforcement agents who violate the state or U.S. Constitutions, according to the text of the legislation.
The bill takes immediate effect in the state of Illinois.
Illinois
Illinois making progress shrinking gender pay gap, but disparities persist: report
CHICAGO (WLS) — A new report shows Illinois is making progress shrinking the gender pay gap, but disparities in pay still persist, particularly for some minority workers.
Professor Robert Bruno, director of labor education and the Project for Middle Class Renewal at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, joined ABC7 Chicago Monday to talk more about it.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
He discussed the study and how it was conducted, its key findings about the gender pay gap, what was learned about minority workers and why some industries were more impacted than others.
SEE ALSO: Bronzeville celebration focuses on pay gap between Black women, white men
He also touched on his recommendations from the report.
“Ensuring pay equity does more than protect justice in the workplace,” Bruno said. “Paying workers fairly regardless of race or gender contributes to a lifetime of higher earnings.”
Visit https://lep.illinois.edu/project-for-middle-class-renewal for more information.
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