Illinois
Northern Illinois Coach Thomas Hammock Is Rooting For Notre Dame In CFP Championship
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA – SEPTEMBER 16: Head coach Thomas Hammock of the Northern Illinois Huskies watches … [+]
On Thursday night, Northern Illinois football coach Thomas Hammock was in Orlando, Fla., to support two players who are competing in Saturday’s Hula Bowl, a postseason game for NFL draft prospects. Still, Hammock watched the College Football Playoff semifinal that took place about 220 miles south in Miami Gardens.
Hammock usually doesn’t care who wins games not involving his team. But he was happy on Thursday when Notre Dame kicker Mitch Jeter made a 41-yard field goal with seven seconds remaining, clinching the Irish’s 27-24 victory over Penn State and securing a spot in the national title game on Jan. 20.
Four months ago, Northern Illinois’s Cade Haberman blocked Jeter’s 62-yard attempt as time expired, giving the Huskies an improbable 16-14 victory over Notre Dame, which was favored by four touchdowns. Since then, the Fighting Irish (14-1) have won 13 consecutive games, the longest streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision, while Northern Illinois continues to be mentioned as the only team to defeat Notre Dame this season.
“It definitely comes up a lot more outside of our building,” Hammock said in a telephone interview on Friday. “You get in the season and you play the game and you then move on to the next one, but I’m certainly excited about what Notre Dame has been able to do. Hopefully they can finish it off on January 20th.”
Hammock said NIU hung with the Irish because of its offensive and defensive lines and because it had no turnovers while intercepting Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard twice. The second pick came with 5:55 left and gave Northern Illinois the ball at the 50-yard line. Eleven plays later, Kanon Woodill connected on a 35-yard game-winning field goal. It was NIU’s first victory over a top-10 team and first win over a ranked team in 21 years.
“I told them all week, ‘We don’t need luck. We’ve just got to be our best,’” an emotional Hammock told NBC’s Zora Stephenson in a postgame interview. “They were their best today, and we were able to get it done.”
After the Notre Dame game, NIU lost two in a row and four of its next six. But the Huskies rebounded to win four of their last five games, including a 28-20 victory over Fresno State in the Potato Bowl two days before Christmas. NIU finished 8-5, the third time in the past four years they were above .500.
Over the past couple of months, as Hammock and his staff have recruited via the high school ranks and transfer portal, they have pointed to the Notre Dame game. Players have responded in kind, saying they heard about NIU thanks to that win.
“It helps us tremendously, just showing what we are capable of doing on a big stage, Hammock said. “I think that that makes a lot of young men excited about the opportunity to potentially come here, and now with the transfer portal and other ways that you can improve your roster, we have a great opportunity here to continue to get better and build for the future.”
This week, NIU announced it will be joining the Mountain West Conference for football-only starting in 2026. It is a major step up for the Huskies, who have played in the Mid-American Conference since 1997.
“That’s a huge positive for our program,” Hammock said. “I think the Mountain West obviously puts a big investment into football, and we wanted to be a part of that.”
As the season progressed and Notre Dame continued to win, Hammock couldn’t help but be aware of the streak. The Irish won their final 10 regular season games by an average of more than 30 points per game, but the loss to NIU lingered to some who questioned if Notre Dame was really among the nation’s best or benefited from a weak schedule. During the CFP, the No. 7 seed Irish have responded with consecutive victories over No. 10 seed Indiana, No. 2 seed Georgia and No. 6 seed Penn State.
“I really can say it’s a blessing that we lost to (NIU),” Notre Dame cornerback Christian Gray told ESPN’s Molly McGrath after Thursday’s game. “It got us humbled and everything. But you see we’re up here right now because of that L.”
Said Hammock: “Normally, you are objective. But in this particular case, I certainly want to see Notre Dame have as much success as they want…They’ve gotten better as the season has went along. I think that speaks volumes to coach (Marcus) Freeman and to the leadership and to the players in that program of how they’ve been able to block out the noise, limit the distractions and play their best football each and every single week.”
On Jan. 20, Notre Dame plays one more game, facing No. 8 seed Ohio State (13-2) for the CFP championship in Atlanta. Hammond plans on remaining in Illinois instead of traveling for the game because he wants to be at NIU to help the high school players and transfers who joined the Huskies this semester. Still, he’ll be watching on television with keen interest.
“I’m certainly rooting for Notre Dame,” Hammock said. “I’m a Marcus Freeman fan. I love his humility, his leadership, everything that he’s done since I met him during that game. I wish him nothing but the best.”
Illinois
Illinois Wesleyan to Launch First-of-its-Kind Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Quantum Science and Engineering Program
Fisher Center for Interdisciplinary Quantum Science & Engineering positions Illinois
as a leader in next generation quantum education
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois Wesleyan University today announced the creation of the Fisher Center for
Interdisciplinary Quantum Science & Engineering, a first-of-its-kind undergraduate
program that brings together multiple areas of study to better prepare students for
careers in this emerging field.
The Fisher Quantum Center will make Illinois Wesleyan the first undergraduate liberal
arts university in the United States to offer an interdisciplinary quantum program,
positioning both the University and the state as leaders in the quantum space.
The Fisher Quantum Center is supported by a founding gift from Ann ‘82 and Alan Fisher,
providing the resources to establish the center and launch programming. Ann is a graduate
of Illinois Wesleyan University and serves on the university’s Board of Trustees.
The Fisher Quantum Center is designed to grow in phases and will expand its curriculum,
facilities, and partnerships over time.
“The Fisher Quantum Center represents a defining step forward as the first undergraduate
interdisciplinary quantum program. Quantum is reshaping industries and the way we
solve complex problems, and this complexity is an ideal fit with Illinois Wesleyan’s
cross-curricular approach to undergraduate education. We are especially grateful to
Ann and Alan Fisher for their generous gift that is making this distinctive program
possible,” said Illinois Wesleyan University President Sheahon J. Zenger.
What is Quantum?
Quantum science studies how matter and energy behave at the smallest scale, where
the differences can be used to create new, more powerful technologies. Because of
this, quantum has a wide variety of real-world applications and is poised to transform
everyday lives and revolutionize industries ranging from computing and cybersecurity
to healthcare, finance, and agriculture.
Most quantum programs are primarily offered at the graduate level and focus on a single
area of study. The Fisher Quantum Center takes a fundamentally different approach
by focusing exclusively on undergraduate education and bringing together physics,
chemistry, computer science, mathematics, biology, business, philosophy, and engineering
into one holistic curriculum. Instead of separating these fields and narrowing the
focus, it connects them to better reflect the broad applications of quantum. This
first-of-its-kind approach prepares students not only with the technical skills for
these emerging careers, but with an understanding of the economic, ethical, environmental,
and societal implications of quantum technologies.
and instrumental performance (euphonium). He has also conducted research on the ethical
implications of quantum computing.
Students will be able to engage with quantum in multiple ways, including through individual
courses, certificates, concentrations, hands-on experiments, projects, faculty-mentored
research, and internships. The Fisher Quantum Center is designed to be flexible, inclusive,
and accessible to undergraduate students from all areas of study to create a gateway
into quantum for students who might not otherwise encounter the field. It will also
serve as hub for visiting scholars, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty to collaborate
on strengthening undergraduate quantum laboratories and infrastructure.
“We are proud to support the creation of the Fisher Quantum Center and the unique
opportunity it creates for students coming to Illinois Wesleyan. The Fisher Quantum
Center will open the door for students from many different backgrounds to engage with
quantum in a way that is accessible and better prepares them for future careers. We
are excited to see how this program grows and the impact it will have on Illinois
Wesleyan students, the university, and the broader community,” said Ann and Alan Fisher.
The first courses through the Fisher Quantum Center will be available in Spring 2027,
alongside enhanced quantum lab space, with programming expanding throughout the year.
Beyond the classroom, the Fisher Quantum Center will support outreach initiatives
to engage high school teachers and students to strengthen pathways into quantum and
STEM fields. Beginning in Summer 2026, Illinois Wesleyan will host a fully funded
Quantum Day Camp for high school STEM teachers and counselors from surrounding counties,
with a residential Quantum Camp for high school students anticipated for Summer 2027.
“The Fisher Quantum Center represents a first-of-its-kind program that will create
new opportunities for students to engage with quantum across disciplines while preparing
them for the high-quality jobs of the future. Quantum technology is already shaping
the future of the global economy, and Illinois is positioning itself as a global leader.
To compete, we need to continue building a strong workforce pipeline, and Illinois
Wesleyan is playing a critical role by giving students the skills and training needed
to fill these emerging jobs and help keep Illinois at the forefront of innovation,”
said Gov. JB Pritzker.
At a time when Illinois is emerging as a national hub for quantum innovation, the
Fisher Quantum Center will play a critical role in developing the next generation
of talent, expanding awareness of quantum careers and opportunities, and ensuring
the state remains competitive in this rapidly evolving field.
“Developing the next generation of talent is essential to maintaining Illinois’ momentum
in quantum,” said Illinois Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Christy George. “Illinois Wesleyan’s new program creates opportunities for students in high demand
fields while helping build the workforce pipeline Illinois industries need. The Fisher
Center reflects the forward-thinking approach that has helped position Illinois as
a growing hub for quantum innovation and emerging technologies.”
For more information about the Fisher Quantum Center, visit www.iwu.edu/fisher-quantum-center.
Illinois Senate Democrats are trying to impose limits on artificial intelligence, or AI, in the final weeks of the legislative session.
The proposed package of eight different bills would target specific areas impacted by the emerging technology, including its effects on mental health and the usage of AI in schools.
State Sen. Bill Cunningham said because Congress has not put much regulation around AI, state lawmakers feel they have to step into the void.
“Artificial intelligence, or AI, can be a powerful tool for good, but currently there are minimal guardrails in place. It’s like the wild, wild west. Illinois needs to create a roadmap for responsible innovation to prevent catastrophic risks. And that is why we are all here today,” said State Sen. Mary Edly-Allen.
Edly-Allen’s proposal, which passed out of committee Wednesday and now heads to the full Senate, aims to increase transparency from big AI companies like ChatGPT and Claude. It would require large companies to make annual reports explaining what they are doing to prevent what lawmakers call “catastrophic risks.”
If a company learns about a critical safety incident, it has to report it within 72 hours, or 24 hours if the incident poses a serious risk of harm or death.
Another bill, led by Sen. Laura Ellman, aims to address the growing number of young people turning to AI during a mental health crisis, specifically people who confide in a chatbot about their suicidal thoughts. AI companies would have to implement methods to detect self harm and refer the user to a resource, such as the suicide hotline.
Other bills try to crack down on AI being used to fix rent prices, curb someone’s data from being used for targeted ads or sold to third parties, ban teachers from using AI to grade a student’s work and cut down on bots scooping up tickets to concerts and sports.
The current legislative session is set to end on May 31, with lawmakers working to pass a host of bills before that date arrives.
IKEA announces new locations opening for 2026
IKEA revealed plans to open 10 new stores in various U.S. cities by 2026 as part of its expansion strategy.
The Chicago metro area is getting its first Dutch Bros cafe this week, with additional Illinois locations set to open later this year.
The West Coast coffee chain announced the openings in a press release Wednesday, May 13, adding details about available freebies.
Dutch Bros coming to Melrose Park
Dutch Bros will be making its Chicago suburbs debut in Melrose Park, with doors set to open Thursday, May 14, at 1931 N. Mannheim Road.
The cafe will operate from 5 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Melrose Park customers will be able to snag a free keychain with any drink purchase on opening day, while supplies last, according to the chain.
“Opening in the Chicago area has always been a dream for us at Dutch Bros, and Melrose Park is just the beginning,” Dutch Bros Local Market Lead Allie Lahti said in the release.
Where else is Dutch Bros opening locations in Illinois?
The chain also announced plans to open cafes in Rockford, New Lenox and Buffalo Grove, with locations slated to open this summer. The chain lists the Rockford location as “coming soon” to 7103 E. State St. on its website.
Meanwhile, job listings for “Broistas” at 550 W. Maple St. in New Lenox and 80 McHenry Road in Buffalo Grove are available for applicants on the site.
But that’s not all.
A spokesperson for the Village of Oak Park told NBC News Chicago the chain “is also in the process of opening a location in Oak Park” at 316 Madison St.
The village approved plans for the new location in October 2025, and the chain told NBC the cafe is still “in the very early stages.”
Peoria City Councilman Alex Carmona told the Journal Star in April that a new Dutch Bros location will be built at the busy intersection of University Street and War Memorial Drive.
Construction is set to kick off in May at 3624 N. University St., with the location slated to open in the fall.
The Peoria Journal Star reached out to Dutch Bros about the upcoming Illinois locations and will update this story accordingly if a response is provided.
List of Dutch Bros locations in Illinois
The coffee chain has five existing locations in the following Illinois cities:
CONTRIBUTING: JJ Bullock, Peoria Journal Star
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