The daily pitch from Sports Editor : May 23, 2026
May 23—➜ . And beyond. Especially if the 62-year-old ends his career in C-U, like he told our beat writer on Thursday after his contract was approved.
➜ . His 193 wins are fourth-most in program history. He needs 18 to surpass (210), 124 to surpass (316) and 231 to move past (423) to become the all-time winningest coach at Illinois.
➜ , only behind the 174 from Combes (1948-67) and the 214 from Henson (1976-96). more Saturdays until and the rest of the Illinois football team kicks off the 2026 season when UAB visits Gies Memorial Stadium on Sept. 5.
That will be the first matchup between the Illini and the Blazers, and even if Illinois wasn't coming off a 9-4 season, the odds would favor the Illini. Since losing to Southern Mississippi in the 1997 opener, Illinois is 19-0 when it opens the season in Champaign. ➜ .
The finals for all three classes happens on Saturday at O'Brien Field in Charleston, with events starting at 10 a. m. and continuing all day until the 1,600-meter relays close the meet when those finals begin at approximately 4:20 p.