Illinois Fighting Illini - wikipedia Illinois Fighting Illini Illinois Fighting Illini University University of Illinois at Urbana -- Champaign Conference Big Ten NCAA Division I / FBS Athletic director Josh Whitman Location Champaign - Urbana, Illinois Varsity teams 21 ( 10 men 's, 11 women 's ) Football stadium Memorial Stadium Basketball arena State Farm Center Baseball stadium Illinois Field Other arenas ARC Pool Atkins Tennis Center Eichelberger Field Huff Hall Illinois Soccer Stadium Illinois Track Stadium Stone Creek Golf Course UI Arboretum UI Armory Nickname Fighting Illini Fight song Illinois Loyalty, Oskee Wow - Wow Colors Orange and Blue Website www.fightingillini.com Big Ten logo in Illinois ' colors The Illinois Fighting Illini ( IPA / ɪ. laɪ. naɪ / ) are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Illinois at Urbana -- Champaign. The university offers 10 men 's and 11 women 's varsity sports. The University operates a number of athletic facilities, including Memorial Stadium for football, the State Farm Center for both men 's and women 's basketball, Illinois Field for baseball, the ARC Pool for women 's swimming and diving, the Atkins Tennis Center for men 's and women 's tennis, Eichelberger Field for softball, Huff Hall for men 's and women 's gymnastics, women 's volleyball and men 's wrestling, Illinois Soccer Stadium for women 's soccer, Illinois Track Stadium for men 's and women 's outdoor track and field, the Stone Creek Golf Course for men 's and women 's golf, the University of Illinois Arboretum for cross country and the University of Illinois Armory for men 's and women 's indoor track and field. The Fighting Illini lay claim to over twenty - five National Championships dating back to 1900. Contents 1 Sports sponsored 1.1 Baseball 1.2 Basketball 1.2. 1 Women 's program 1.2. 2 Men 's program 1.3 Cross country 1.3. 1 Men 's program 1.3. 2 Women 's program 1.4 Football 1.5 Golf 1.5. 1 Men 's program 1.5. 2 Women 's program 1.6 Gymnastics 1.6. 1 Men 's program 1.6. 2 Women 's program 1.7 Soccer 1.8 Softball 1.9 Swimming and diving 1.10 Tennis 1.10. 1 Men 's program 1.10. 2 Women 's program 1.11 Track and field 1.11. 1 Men 's program 1.11. 2 Women 's program 1.12 Volleyball 1.13 Wrestling 2 Championships 2.1 NCAA team championships 2.2 Other team championships 3 Club sports 3.1 Ice hockey 3.2 Men 's rugby 3.3 Wheelchair basketball 4 Athletic facilities 4.1 Current facilities 4.2 Practice facilities 4.3 Former facilities 4.4 Club and intramural facilities 5 Illinois traditions 5.1 Fighting Illini nickname 5.2 Marching Illini 5.3 Illinois Loyalty 5.4 Oskee Wow - Wow 5.5 Oskee Wow - Wow yell 6 Athletic directors 7 Notable alumni 8 Controversy 9 References 10 External links Sports sponsored Men 's sports Women 's sports Baseball Basketball Basketball Cross country Cross country Golf Football Gymnastics Golf Soccer Gymnastics Softball Tennis Swimming & diving Track & field Tennis Wrestling Track & field Volleyball † -- Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor. Baseball Main article : Illinois Fighting Illini baseball Illini baseball has 10 NCAA Tournament Appearances, 33 Big Ten Champions titles and 4 Big Ten Tournament Championships from 1989, 1990, 2000 and 2011. Basketball Women 's program Main article : Illinois Fighting Illini women 's basketball The Fighting Illini women 's basketball team began play in 1974. The team won the 1997 Big Ten Championship. They have made eight NCAA Tournament appearances and had two sweet sixteen appearances in 1997 and 1998. Men 's program Main article : Illinois Fighting Illini men 's basketball Illini Basketball titles include Helms National Champions in 1915, 5 NCAA Final Four appearances in 1949, 1951, 1952, 1989, 2005, 17 Big Ten Champions and Big Ten Tournament Championships in 2003, 2005. Through the end of the 2013 -- 14 season, Illinois ranks 11th all - time in winning percentage and 14th all - time in wins among all NCAA Division I men 's college basketball programs. A Bristow Adams poster of an Illini football player 1904 NCAA football guide featuring Illini Football. The guide was the official rules book and record book of college football Cross country Men 's program The men 's cross country team carries the title of Big Ten Champions in 1921, 1947 and 1984. Women 's program The Fighting Illini women 's cross country team began play in 1977. Illinois won an individual NCAA championship in 2009. Football Main article : Illinois Fighting Illini football The University of Illinois has five national championships in football. The Fighting Illini now officially recognize the 1951 National Championship by the Boand selecting body, but as recently as 2006 this was not mentioned officially by the school. The team also has 15 Big Ten Championship Football victories with 8 Bowl Game Victories at the 1947 Rose Bowl, 1952 Rose Bowl, 1964 Rose Bowl, 1990 Florida Citrus Bowl, 1994 Liberty Bowl, 1999 MicronPC.com Bowl, 2010 Texas Bowl, and 2011 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. Golf Men 's program Main article : Illinois Fighting Illini men 's golf The men 's golf team play their home matches on the Stone Creek Golf Course five miles from the university 's campus, and are currently led by head coach Mike Small. The Fighting Illini men 's golf program has won 15 Big Ten championships and in 2013 finished as national runner - up at the NCAA Division I Men 's Golf Championships, which was the highest finish in the program 's history. 2014 was the third time in the past four years the program had qualified for the match play portion of the NCAA Men 's Golf Championships in which the final eight teams compete in a bracket format. Women 's program The Fighting Illini women 's golf team began play in 1975. The team has made four NCAA Tournament appearances in 2002, 2003, 2011 and 2012. Gymnastics Men 's program Main article : Illinois Fighting Illini men 's gymnastics The men 's gymnastics team have been invited to 44 NCAA tournaments and have won 10 team NCAA championships, which is second most all - time only to Penn State Nittany Lions 12 team titles. Additionally, the Fighting Illini have won an all - time record 53 individual NCAA titles. The Illini hold their competitions at George Huff Hall on the Champaign side of campus, and the team trains and holds practices at the Kenney Gym on the Urbana side of campus. Women 's program The Fighting Illini women 's gymnastics team began play in 1974. The team won three Big Ten Championships in 1990, 1991 and 1992. Soccer The Fighting Illini women 's soccer team began play in 1997. The team won two Big Ten Championships in 2003 and 2011. They have made twelve NCAA Tournaments appearances in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. The team has four sweet sixteen appearances in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2013 and one elite eight appearance in 2004. Softball The Fighting Illini softball team began play in 2000. The team has made six NCAA Tournament appearances in 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2016 and 2017. Swimming and diving The Fighting Illini women 's swimming and diving team began play in 1974. The team had individual NCAA champions in 1983, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. Tennis Men 's program Main article : Illinois Fighting Illini men 's tennis The Illinois men 's tennis program was founded in 1908, but has enjoyed most of its success in recent years. The Illini have been one of the most successful men 's tennis programs in the nation over the past twenty seasons, winning nine consecutive Big Ten Championships from 1997 -- 2005 ; six of seven Big Ten Tournament Championships between 1999 and 2005 ; appearing in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen fourteen times, including eight years in a row ( 2002 -- 09 ) ; advancing to three NCAA Final Fours between 2003 and 2007 ; and winning the 2003 NCAA National Championship. They have also won two ITA National Team Indoor Championships ( 2003, 2004 ) and lost in the championship match three other times ( 1998, 1999, 2002 ). Illinois men 's tennis owns the record for longest consecutive win streak in NCAA history at 64 matches, spanning from their first match of the 2002 -- 2003 season and ending with a 4 -- 2 defeat by UCLA in the semifinals of the 2004 NCAA Men 's Tennis Tournament. Women 's program The Fighting Illini women 's tennis team began play in 1975. The women 's tennis team has made nine NCAA Tournament appearances in 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2008 and 2010. Track and field Men 's program The men 's Indoor Track and Field team has a total of 20 Big Ten Champion titles. For outdoor track and field the team has NCAA National Champions in 1921 1927 1944, 1946, and 1947. In addition, the team carries a total of 29 Big Ten Championships. Indoor Track and Field Big Ten Champions : 1912, 1913, 1914, 1916, 1920, 1921, 1924, 1928, 1946, 1947, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1958, 1977, 1981, 1987, 1988, 1989 Outdoor Track and Field Big Ten Champions : 1907, 1909, 1913, 1914, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1934, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1975, 1977, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1994, 2015 Women 's program The Fighting Illini women 's track and field team began play in 1976. The indoor track and field team won five Big Ten Championships in 1989, 1992, 1993, 1995 and 1996. The outdoor track and field team won the 1970 Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women national championship and six Big Ten Championships in 1988, 1989, 1992, 1995, 2005 and 2007. Volleyball Main article : Illinois Fighting Illini women 's volleyball Women 's volleyball started in 1974., Since moving into Huff Hall from the Kenney Gym in 1990, the Illinois Volleyball team has remained in the top 10 in the nation for average home attendance. In 2013, the program broke its previous home attendance record, averaging 3,117 per match. Kenney Gym served as the initial home court from 1974 through the 1989 season. Since the founding of the volleyball program in 1974, the Fighting Illini have had 30 + winning seasons. Wrestling The current head coach of the University of Illinois Fighting Illini Wrestling team is Jim Heffernan under his 5th season, and 22nd with the University of Illinois. Huff Hall is the current home arena seating approximately 4,500. Big Ten Champions : 1913, 1917, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1930, 1932, 1935, 1937, 1946, 1947, 1952, 2005 The University of Illinois has had 24 NCAA National Champions with the most recent being Jesse Delgado in 2013 and 2014 and Isaiah Martinez in 2015 and 2016. References : Men 's basketball, Men 's fencing, Men 's hockey, Men 's polo, Men 's soccer, Men 's water polo Illinois fencing won National Championships in 1956 and 1958. Fencing was dropped as a varsity sport in 1993. Men 's swimming and diving was dropped as a varsity sport in 1993, but were Big Ten Champions in 1911, 1912 and 1913. Championships NCAA team Championships The University of Illinois has won 18 NCAA national championships : Men 's ( 18 ) Fencing ( 2 ) : 1956, 1958 Gymnastics ( 10 ) : 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1950, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1989, 2012 Outdoor track and field ( 5 ) : 1921, 1927 ( unofficial ), 1944, 1946, 1947 Tennis ( 1 ) : 2003 See also : Big Ten NCAA team championships Big Ten Conference NCAA national team championships List of NCAA schools with the most NCAA Division I championships Other team Championships Below are 7 national team titles that were not bestowed by the NCAA : Men 's Basketball ( 1 ) : 1915 ( Helms and Premo - Porretta retroactive selection ) Football ( 5 ) : 1914, 1919, 1923, 1927, 1951 Women 's Outdoor track and field ( 1 ) : 1970 See also : List of NCAA schools with the most Division I national championships ^ The NCAA does not award a national championship in Division I FBS football. Instead, polls were used to determine the national champion until 2013. In this case, the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll, were the two biggest selectors. Since 2014, the College Football Playoff has determined the national champion. These championships are not recognized by the NCAA because the championship was won without participating in an NCAA recognized event or tournament. Club sports Club sports include men 's ice hockey, men 's lacrosse, women 's ice hockey, rowing, men 's rugby, women 's rugby, tennis, men 's volleyball, men 's soccer, women 's soccer, men 's ultimate frisbee, women 's ultimate frisbee, men 's and women 's cross country, and men 's and women 's track and field. Ice hockey The men 's ice hockey team has played in the Division I Central States Collegiate Hockey League conference since 1979, which is part of the American Collegiate Hockey Association ( ACHA ). Men 's rugby Founded in 1963, the University of Illinois Men 's Rugby Football Club plays in Division 1 - A in the Big Ten Universities conference. The Illini have experienced success in college rugby, including winning several Big 10 championships in the 1980s and reaching the national semifinals in 1980, 1983 and 1985. The Illini play their home matches in Urbana at the Complex Fields. Wheelchair basketball Main article : University of Illinois Wheelchair Basketball The men 's wheelchair basketball team was founded in 1948 by Dr. Timothy Nugent in response to a large number of disabled veterans using the G.I. Bill to attend the University of Illinois. Dr. Nugent later started a women 's team in 1970. A total of 29 national championships are claimed between the men and women 's teams. Athletic facilities Memorial Stadium with State Farm Center in background State Farm Center Current facilities Activities and Recreation Center ( ARC Pool ) -- Women 's swimming and diving Atkins Tennis Center -- Men 's and women 's tennis Eichelberger Field -- Softball Huff Hall -- Men 's and women 's gymnastics, women 's volleyball and wrestling Illinois Field -- Baseball Illinois Soccer Stadium -- Women 's soccer Illinois Track Stadium -- Men 's and women 's outdoor track and field Memorial Stadium -- Football State Farm Center ( formerly Assembly Hall ) -- Men 's and women 's basketball Stone Creek Golf Course -- Men 's and women 's golf University of Illinois Arboretum -- Men 's and women 's cross country University of Illinois Armory -- Men 's and women 's indoor track and field Practice facilities Demirjian Golf Practice Facility -- Men 's and women 's golf indoor practice facility Irwin Indoor Practice Facility -- Football, women 's soccer, baseball, softball Kenney Gym and Kenney Gym Annex -- Men 's and women 's gymnastics Lauritsen / Wohlers Outdoor Golf Practice Facility -- Men 's and women 's golf outdoor practice facility U of I Orange and Blue Golf Courses -- Men 's and women 's golf short - game practice center Former facilities Huff Hall -- Men 's basketball ( 1925 -- 1963 ) Original Illinois Field -- Baseball ( 1884 -- 1987 ) and football ( 1893 -- 1922 ) Kenney Gym and Kenney Gym Annex -- Men 's basketball ( 1905 -- 1925 ) Club and intramural facilities Activities and Recreation Center -- Intramural sports CRCE -- Intramural sports University of Illinois Ice Arena -- Men 's and women 's club hockey, Synchronized skating Illinois traditions Fighting Illini nickname The University of Illinois official team nickname is the Fighting Illini. The earliest reference of Illini appears to be mentioned in January 1874, when the campus weekly newspaper changed its name from The Student to The Illini. An editorial in the first edition of the renamed newspaper indicated that Illini was a new term. During the late 19th century and beginning of the 20th century, it was used to refer to the students, faculty, staff, and alumni of the University, as well as to the campus as a whole. The term Illini referring to the universities athletic teams seems to come from secondhand accounts of the athletic teams. The earliest reference in the Illio yearbook appears to be one mention in the summary of the 1907 football season. The term was more widely used in the 1910s especially during the 1914, 1915, and 1916 football seasons. The Daily Illini and football programs prior to these dates do not extensively cite the term and also used the terms `` Indians, '' `` our men, '' `` Orange and Blue, '' and the `` homecomers ''. The term Fighting Illini first appeared in a January 29, 1911 newspaper article describing the basketball team 's effort during a game versus Purdue. By March 3, 1911, the athletic teams appeared to have earned the Fighting Illini nickname as a formal appellation evidenced in a newspaper report. In 2005, evidence suggested Fighting Illini was first used in 1921 as part of a fundraising campaign for construction of Memorial Stadium, but articles discovered in 2013 show it was first used in 1911. The Fighting Illini nickname was adopted by general consensus as an unofficial school nickname sometime between 1921 -- 1930. It was then used in newspaper articles, football programs and other publications eventually becoming the official nickname. Marching Illini The Marching Illini in USA Formation during Patriotic Medley from the traditional pregame show Main article : Marching Illini The Marching Illini is the marching band of the university. The Marching Illini is an organization which annually includes approximately 350 students. Part of the College of Fine and Applied Arts and the School of Music, the Marching Illini represent virtually every college, discipline, and major on the University 's diverse Urbana - Champaign campus. The band primarily performs before, during, and after University of Illinois home football games. The band also performs an indoor concert at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts featuring special lighting effects, performances by individual sections, and slightly pithy comic routines. The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music houses a collection of University Band recordings and performances and recording sessions from 1940 -- 1987. The band has several traditions such as the Pregame Show, Three - In - One, Illinois Loyalty and Oskee Wow - Wow. Illinois Loyalty Main article : Illinois Loyalty Illinois Loyalty is the main school song of the university. It was first performed on March 3, 1906 and is one of the oldest songs of its kind in the United States. The song was written by Thacher Howland Guild ( 1879 - 1914 ), instructor in rhetoric and a member of the band ′ s solo cornet section. Due to the song 's length, it is normally played only at the beginning, halftime, and end of football games. Oskee Wow - Wow Main article : Oskee Wow - Wow Oskee Wow - Wow is the official fight song of the University of Illinois. Most commonly, it is played `` from the hold '' at the start of the chorus, when the `` O '' in `` Oskee Wow - Wow '' is held out. This version is played after first downs and touchdowns in football, and leading into time outs in basketball. Coincidentally, the buzzers at nearly every arena are in the same chord as the hold. For many years, the band started playing the song `` from the top '' toward the end of the warmup period in basketball. When conducted correctly, the `` hold '' is played just as the buzzer sounds. Oskee Wow - Wow yell The Oskee Wow - Wow yell is a University of Illinois spirit yell originated in 1899. The yell was modified in 1912 and 1916. Athletic directors Edward K. Hall ( 1892 -- 1894 ) Fred D. Dodge ( 1894 -- 1895 ) Henry H. Everett ( 1895 -- 1898 ) Jacob K. Shell ( 1898 -- 1901 ) George Huff ( 1901 -- 1936 ) Wendell S. Wilson ( 1936 -- 1941 ) Douglas R. Mills ( 1941 -- 1966 ) Leslie Bryan ( interim ) ( 1966 -- 1967 ) Gene Vance ( 1967 -- 1972 ) Charles E. Flynn ( interim ) ( 1972 ) Cecil Coleman ( 1972 -- 1979 ) Ray Eliot ( interim ) ( 1979 ) Neale Stoner ( 1980 -- 1988 ) Ron Guenther ( interim ) ( 1988 ) Karol A. Kahrs ( interim ) ( 1988 ) John Mackovic ( 1988 -- 1991 ) Robert Todd ( interim ) ( 1991 -- 1992 ) Ron Guenther ( 1992 -- 2011 ) Mike Thomas ( 2011 -- 2015 ) Paul Kowalczyk ( interim ) ( 2015 ) Josh Whitman ( 2016 -- present ) Notable alumni Main article : List of University of Illinois at Urbana -- Champaign people § sports The University has a number of notable alumni and administrators in the world of athletics. In football, notable Alumni include Dick Butkus, Red Grange, Jeff George, Simeon Rice, Ray Nitschke and George Halas. Famous basketball alumni include Luther Head, Derek Harper, Nick Anderson, Chuck Carney, Brian Cook, Kendall Gill, Steve Bardo, Jerry Colangelo, and Johnny Orr. Notable athletes in baseball include Lou Boudreau, Hoot Evers and Ken Holtzman. The University has also a number of Olympic athletes that include George Kerr, Don Laz, Daniel Kinsey, Harold Osborn, Bob Richards, and Justin Spring, Controversy Main article : Chief Illiniwek From 1926 until 2007, the symbol of the university 's athletic teams was a Native American figure, Chief Illiniwek, which sparked significant controversy beginning in the 1980s. Critics of the Chief, who was represented at games by someone dressed in costume, claimed that it was a racist stereotype and a symbol of the oppression to Native Americans which took place in American history. Supporters claimed that it was inoffensive and a source of pride and reverence to the Native American heritage of Illinois. In 1982, Oglala Sioux elder Frank Fools Crow sold an authentic ceremonial costume and headdress to the university. Since 1992, the Oglala Sioux tribe demanded the costume and headdress be returned to Fools Crow 's family. The university was unable to locate the feathers and a grandson of Fools Crow has stated he disagreed with the way the University used his grandfather 's gift. The university remains deeply divided on this issue ; while some of the faculty condemned the symbol, the administration remained supportive of it. The university 's Board of Trustees announced on February 16, 2007 that the Chief 's last public performance would be the final home game of the 2006 -- 2007 Men 's Basketball season. The name `` Fighting Illini '' was retained because the NCAA rescinded its criticism of the term. References Jump up ^ `` Logos and Colors Illinois Brand Guidelines ''. August 14, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017. Jump up ^ `` The Record Book '' ( PDF ). Grfx.cstv.com. Retrieved May 29, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Records '' ( PDF ). Graphics.fansonly.com. Retrieved May 29, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Illini Advance to NCAA Match Play for Third Time in 4 Years ''. University of Illinois DIA. May 26, 2014. Retrieved June 25, 2014. Jump up ^ http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ill/sports/m-gym/auto_pdf/2012-13/misc_non_event/2013-record-book.pdf Jump up ^ http://www.fightingillini.com/facilities/kenneygym.html Jump up ^ http://www.itatennis.com/Assets/ita_assets/pdf/Men$!27s+National+Team+Indoors/PastChampions.pdf Jump up ^ The Illini were unofficial NCAA National Champions in 1927, as the NCAA did not officially score a team national championship at the competition that year. Jump up ^ 2012 Illinois Volleyball Record Book ( PDF ). Champaign, IL : University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign. 2012. p. 68. Retrieved December 14, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Illinois ' Most Well - Attended Season Ends at the Hand of Big Ten Foe ''. Champaign, IL : University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign. 2013. Retrieved December 14, 2013. Jump up ^ `` 2013 -- 2014 Wrestling Quick Facts ''. University of Illinois Athletics. Retrieved March 9, 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` WATER POLO AND BASKET BALL TEAMS ORGANIZED ''. Daily Illini. November 11, 1905. Retrieved November 13, 2015. Jump up ^ `` A Fencing Meet ''. Daily Illini. March 4, 1911. Retrieved November 13, 2015. Jump up ^ Figueroa, Joey ( November 5, 2015 ). `` Athletic scholarships at Illinois by the numbers ''. Daily Illini. Retrieved November 13, 2015. Jump up ^ `` HOCKEY - COACH ''. Daily Illini. December 18, 1937. Retrieved November 13, 2015. Jump up ^ Roberts, Glenn ( July 20, 1945 ). `` AFTER THE DEADLINE ''. Daily Illini. Retrieved November 13, 2015. Jump up ^ Adams, Jack ( October 8, 1941 ). `` Illini Polo Rises After 9 Year Struggle ''. Daily Illini. Retrieved November 13, 2015. Jump up ^ Talbot, Phil ( April 10, 1934 ). `` Sport Formerly Closed to Men not in ROTC ''. Daily Illini. Retrieved November 13, 2015. ^ Jump up to : Stoffel, Ron ( July 1, 1970 ). `` UI sports started small, now big business here Just check the ticket price ''. Daily Illini. Retrieved November 13, 2015. Jump up ^ http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/champs_records_book/Overall.pdf Jump up ^ ESPN, ed. ( 2009 ). ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia : The Complete History of the Men 's Game. New York, NY : ESPN Books. p. 533. ISBN 978 - 0 - 345 - 51392 - 2. Jump up ^ U of I Rugby, Illinois Men 's Rugby Football Club, http://uofirugby.com/en/ Jump up ^ Rugby Mag, DII Bottom Dweller to DI - A, Illinois Opens BTU Conference Play Saturday, September 27, 2012, http://www.rugbymag.com/college-premier-league-/5909-dii-bottom-dweller-to-di-a-illinois-opens-btu-conference-play-saturday.html Jump up ^ Savitz, Harriet ( 2006 ). Wheelchair Champions : A History of Wheelchair Sports. Lincoln : iUniverse. ISBN 978 - 0595385225. ^ Jump up to : `` Fighting Illini Name ''. archives.library.illinois.edu. Retrieved May 12, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Fighting Illini FAQ ''. archives.library.illinois.edu. Retrieved May 12, 2017. Jump up ^ `` University Bands Tape Recordings, 1942 -- 1987 -- The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music ''. illinois.edu. Jump up ^ Thatcher Howland Guild. `` Illinois Loyalty March, recorded 1916 - 12 - 05 by the Victor Military Band ''. Library of Congress National Jukebox. Victor Records. Retrieved June 23, 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` University Yells ''. uihistories.library.illinois.edu. Retrieved May 12, 2017. Jump up ^ `` ' Oskee Wow Wow ' predates the Chief ''. news-gazette.com. Retrieved May 12, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Lou Boudreau Stats ''. Baseball Almanac. Retrieved October 30, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Hoot Evers Stats ''. Baseball Almanac. Retrieved October 30, 2012. Jump up ^ `` U of I says Chief Illiniwek feathers returned ; tribe disagrees ''. Sioux City Journal. Associated Press. January 22, 2007. Retrieved March 3, 2011. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign athletics. Official website University of Illinois at Urbana -- Champaign Located in : Urbana and Champaign, Illinois Academics Schools and colleges Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences Applied Health Sciences Architecture Carle ( Medicine ) Education Engineering Fine and Applied Arts Gies ( Business ) Labor and Employment Relations Law Liberal Arts and Sciences Information Sciences Media Medicine Social Work Veterinary Medicine Centers and institutes Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology Blue Waters Center for International Business Education and Research Center for the Simulation of Advanced Rockets Coordinated Science Laboratory Illinois Newspaper Project Information Trust Institute Institute for Computing in the Humanities, Arts, and Social Science Institute for Condensed Matter Theory Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology Mortenson Center for International Library Programs National Center for Supercomputing Applications Prairie Research Institute The Rare Book & Manuscript Library Regional Economics Applications Laboratory Sousa Archives and Center for American Music State Farm Research and Development Center Universal Parallel Computing Research Center - Illinois Athletics NCAA sports Illinois Fighting Illini Baseball Football Men 's Basketball Men 's Golf Men 's Gymnastics Men 's Tennis Women 's Basketball Women 's Volleyball Club sports Men 's ice hockey Men 's volleyball Rowing Wheelchair basketball Facilities The ARC Atkins Tennis Center Campus Recreation Center -- East Freer Hall Huff Hall Ice Arena Illinois Field Kenney Gym and Kenney Gym Annex Memorial Stadium State Farm Center Rivalries Braggin ' Rights Missouri Northwestern Ohio State football Purdue Spirit Alma Mater Chief Illiniwek `` Illinois Loyalty '' `` Oskee Wow - Wow '' Orange Krush Student life Groups Fraternities and sororities Graduate Employees ' Organization Illini 4000 for Cancer Illinois Business Consulting Marching Illini Illinois Solar Decathlon Media Fighting Illini Sports Network Illini Media Daily Illini WPGU Illinois Public Media Journals Comparative Labor Law and Policy Journal Campus Historic buildings Altgeld Hall Busey - Evans Residence Halls Engineering Hall Foellinger Auditorium Harker Hall Illini Union Lincoln Hall Main Library Natural History Building Noyes Laboratory of Chemistry Observatory Round Barns Smith Memorial Hall Uni High School University Library Other buildings Business Instructional Facility Grainger Engineering Library Krannert Art Museum Krannert Center for the Performing Arts Newmark Civil Engineering Laboratory Siebel Center for Computer Science Spurlock Museum Around campus UIUC History Arboretum Boneyard Creek Conservatory and Plant Collection Engineering Campus McFarland Carillon Morrow Plots Residence Halls Other locations Allerton Park Campustown Mount Laguna Observatory Research Park Willard Airport Misc. Notable people Chancellors of the UIUC University of Illinois Presidents Press Project 500 Transportation University Library Big Ten Conference East Division Indiana Hoosiers Maryland Terrapins Michigan Wolverines Michigan State Spartans Ohio State Buckeyes Penn State Nittany Lions Rutgers Scarlet Knights West Division Illinois Fighting Illini Iowa Hawkeyes Minnesota Golden Gophers Nebraska Cornhuskers Northwestern Wildcats Purdue Boilermakers Wisconsin Badgers Associate members Johns Hopkins Blue Jays ( men 's and women 's lacrosse ) Notre Dame Fighting Irish ( men 's ice hockey ) Former team Chicago Maroons Championships & awards National Championships Athlete of the Year Big Ten Network * B1G Super Saturday Sports teams based in Illinois Baseball MLB Chicago Cubs Chicago White Sox MWL Kane County Cougars Peoria Chiefs FL Gateway Grizzlies Joliet Slammers Normal CornBelters Schaumburg Boomers Southern Illinois Miners Windy City ThunderBolts NWL Rockford Rivets PL Danville Dans Quincy Gems Springfield Sliders Basketball NBA Chicago Bulls WNBA Chicago Sky G League Windy City Bulls ABA Chicago Fury Chicago Steam Libertyville Vipers Windy City Groove IBA Kankakee County Soldiers Rockford Riverdawgs Windy City Blazers MPBA Champaign Swarm Chicago Force Pontiac 66ers Windy City Groove Football NFL Chicago Bears CIF Quad City Steamwheelers IFL Bloomington Edge LFL Chicago Bliss Hockey NHL Chicago Blackhawks AHL Chicago Wolves Rockford IceHogs ECHL Quad City Mallards SPHL Peoria Rivermen FHL Danville Dashers USHL Central Illinois Flying Aces Chicago Steel NAHL Springfield Jr. Blues Inline hockey MLRH Chicago Carnage Roller derby USARS Chicago Red Hots WFTDA Chicago Outfit Roller Derby McLean County MissFits Rockford Rage Southern Illinois Roller Girls Twin City Derby Girls Windy City Rollers Rugby RSL Chicago Griffins RFC Chicago Lions RFC MRFU Rowdies Rugby Football Club Springfield Celts Rugby Club Soccer MLS Chicago Fire PDL Chicago Fire U-23 NPSL Quad City Eagles PLA Aurora Borealis SC RWB Adria NWSL Chicago Red Stars WPSL Chicago Red Stars Reserves Indoor soccer MASL Chicago Mustangs Softball NPF Chicago Bandits Ultimate AUDL Chicago Wildfire College athletics ( NCAA Division I ) Bradley Braves Chicago State Cougars DePaul Blue Demons Eastern Illinois Panthers Illinois Fighting Illini Illinois State Redbirds Loyola Ramblers Northern Illinois Huskies Northwestern Wildcats SIU Edwardsville Cougars Southern Illinois Salukis UIC Flames Western Illinois Leathernecks College athletics ( NCAA Division II ) Lewis Flyers McKendree Bearcats Quincy Hawks UIS Prairie Stars Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Illinois_Fighting_Illini&oldid=808577925 '' Categories : Illinois Fighting Illini 1879 establishments in Illinois Sports clubs established in 1879 Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from October 2017 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Français Galego Edit links This page was last edited on 3 November 2017, at 18 : 52. 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Question: where did the name fighting illini come from
Answer: newspaper changed its name