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University of Illinois Athletics

From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.

The intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are known as the Fighting Illini. In the world of popular intercollegiate sports, the University's teams are also known as "the Illini", or commonly "Illinois". The University offers 10 men's and 11 women's varsity sports. The University operates a number of top athletic facilities, including Memorial Stadium for football, the Assembly Hall for men's basketball, and the Atkins Tennis Center for men's and women's tennis.

Contents

5 Mascot and Controversy

6 External Links

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Organization

The University's Division of Intercollegiate Athletics administers the official athletics teams of the University. All of the University's athletics teams participate in the NCAA's Division I, and form the Big Ten Conference with 10 other primarily midwestern universities. The football team participates in a subdivision within the Division I known as Division I-A.

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Men's Sports

Baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross country, football, golf, gymnastics, tennis, track and field, and wrestling.

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Women's Sports

Basketball, cheerleading, cross country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.

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Famous Athletes

Nick Anderson - men's basketball, played professionally for the Orlando Magic and Sacramento Kings
Lou Boudreau - baseball, played professionally for and managed the Cleveland Indians, and and enshrined member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
Dick Butkus - football, played professionally for the NFL's Chicago Bears, and an enshrined member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Dike Eddleman - football, basketball, and track and field (1947-49), also won a silver medal at the 1948 Summer Olympics in the high jump
Perdita Felicien, track and field, first female in Illinois history to win a gold medal in an individual event at the World Championships
Jeff George - football, played professionally for a variety of teams, including the Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, and the Oakland Raiders
Kendall Gill - basketball, played professionally for a variety of teams, currently playing for the Milwaukee Bucks
Red Grange - football, played professionally for the NFL's Chicago Bears, and an enshrined member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
George Halas - football, professional player, coach, and owner of the NFL's Chicago Bears, and an enshrined member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Ray Nitschke - football, played professionally for the NFL's Green Bay Packers, and an enshrined member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Simeon Rice - football, played professionally for the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Mascot and Controversy

A symbol of the University's athletic teams is a Native American figure, Chief Illiniwek, which has sparked significant controversy. Critics of the symbol claim that it is a racist stereotype, while supporters claim that it is unoffensive and is a source of pride for many students. The University is deeply divided on this issue; while some of the faculty have condemned the symbol, the administration is largely supportive of it.

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