I said to myself that if the Illinois Fighting Illini defeated the Nebraska Cornhuskers, I would…read morepurchase a ticket and make the drive from Chicago to watch them against the Michigan State Spartans. And what a college football game it was with the Fighting Illini defeating the Cornhuskers 31-24 in overtime, which ended up being my go ahead on purchasing a ticket. I walked to Memorial Stadium which sat no more than a mile away from my hotel, the Homewood Suites by Hilton Champaign-Urbana. I recommend Homewood Suites for hotel stay if you are visiting for any Fighting Illini sporting events because of its distance. As a die-hard Fighting Illini football fan along with it being my very first home game attended; it felt surreal walking through Grange Grove gate of Memorial Stadium and right by the statue of the Galloping Ghost! It will be a memory that I forever cherish! It was easy navigating around Memorial Stadium to locate my seat. I loved where it was located, even though it was hard at times to see over the standing fans most of the time. Off to the side, I did have a good visual of the video display when I could not see over standing fans. I always love that the video display shows the results of other games being played. Prior to heading out for the Fighting Illini football game I was tuned into the Colorado Buffaloes vs Utah Utes football game. And the video display gave me the chance to see the updated score of that game. The stadium atmosphere at Memorial Stadium was fantastic! It was much different attending rather than watching on television because I was able to chant either "I-L-L or I-N-I" and boo the opposing team which was Michigan State. And my seat was located near the end zone where the cannons were fired post the Fighting Illini entering the field, as well as after each scoring point. I never got the chance to see the Fighting Illini marching band perform until now. Their performance was a sight to see during half-time and it made the time go by faster. In between timeouts and play calling, there were acknowledgements of the accomplishments of student athletes and anyone part of the University of Illinois. Selfie cam kept everyone in attendance involved and tuned in to the video display. Seems like the best way to get captured is to wear something out of the normal, or simply just standing out maybe. I left within the final minutes of the fourth quarter, just to avoid the cluster of fans leaving after the game, plus I was hungry and cold. Since it was my first Fighting Illini game at Memorial Stadium I did not want to leave prematurely as I am known for, even with the Fighting Illini leading in points. After this game, I am very open to making my way down from Chicago, just to see my beloved Fighting Illini again at Memorial Stadium in Champaign being that this experience was enjoyable. ~ Good vibes coming your way ~ Thomas G

I spent a decade at U of I for my undergraduate degree and PhD. I went to one football game…read morebasically every year. Since I graduated I had not been back for a decade. I decided to take my dad back this year for his birthday. It was a lot of fun. There is nothing like the energy before a Big Ten football game. The tailgating, kids throwing footballs around, and the smells of food on the grill. We got tickets in the upper deck, I prefer this so you can see plays developing. The seats were great. The only downside is that there isn't a hand railing (no idea how they have gotten around this) so you have to be careful when you are carrying tons of food/drinks or if you are older. The Marching Illini do a fantastic job, the stadium is gorgeous, and it just took me back to my time at U of I a decade ago.

The best tournament fields in the Midwest, 6 turf fields. A fully loaded concession stand, with…read moreoptions of Cheeseburgers, Hotdogs, Brats, pizza, bosco stix, and the smell of ribeyes all day. They host over 1000 teams a summer and are always updating the facility. People bring their own shade tents, like every other facility when its hot. They have a shaded playground for little kids and a pavilion as well for shade. They have the ELITE ALL-STARS event and the ALL-STATE event, two of the best weekends of the summer. The website www.lenzfield.com is very helpful as well. I highly recommend LENZ FIELD.

I have attended many baseball games and tournaments at Lenz Complex and have always been impressed…read morewith the professionalism by those in charge. Everyone is friendly and willing to assist players, coaches, and fans with whatever they need. This is one complex that definitely put kids first. They have batting cages available for teams to use for hitting. Plus I have seen non-players taking advantage of the cages. They also have netting over some of the fields so fans do not have to worry about foul balls. They also have picnic tables, both covered and uncovered and a sheltered area near the playground where people can sit to get out of the sun. The umpires treat all players and coaches with respect and expect the same back. They know the rules and their expectations and do everything in their power to keep the games on time. The umps are also very fair and reasonable whether it be calling balls/strikes or plays on the bases. The fields are all well maintained and are playable during inclement weather. Lenz Complex has several different sized fields for the different age groups. Their fields are used for both baseball and softball. They keep water coolers in each dugout during tournaments and make sure all coolers have fresh water for the players and coaches. Lenz Field has one of the best concession stand hands down. The food is delicious and you get a lot when asking for chicken salad or bar-be-que. In fact you need a fork to eat either sandwich. Anything from their grill is top notch and again delicious. They have a variety of snacks and drinks and all are reasonably priced. The Lenz Complex is located within a mile of shopping and eating, but I would highly suggest you eat at the concession stand because as stated before the food/drinks is awesome and reasonably priced. The complex also has a hospital across the street which is good in case of an injury. Plus there is a medic on site for all tournaments. I would suggest you get your ball team signed up to play at the Lenz Complex. You won't be disappointed! I definitely give Lenz Complex 5+ stars!

I can only speak for watching college basketball and graduations here, but it is a great place for…read moreboth. Watching Redbird basketball here is something anyone in the Bloomington/Normal should do and do often. Great atmosphere and usually a fun crowd. Concessions are a little pricey but usually go to a non-profit, school, or scouts so that helps.

Not a bad facility. I did notice that anytime someone would walk up and down the stairs the…read morebleachers would shake. WiFi is secured so you can't just randomly access it. $3 for a bottle of water. The bathrooms were clean. The coffee was weak. Parking was not so great but it was a big event so no big deal.

We were here for the second time in two years for our grandson's high school graduations. Both…read moretimes were a very positive experience. There is plenty of parking, security moves fairly quickly and the facility has plenty of seats for this type of event. The audio and video quality was good, the facility was clean and they had some decent concession offerings.

Went to see the Clapton Chronicles at the Family Arena last night. Super easy to get in and park,…read moresecurity wasn't too crazy (bring a clear or very small purse!), we had open seating so managed to get great seats, the show started right on time and the arena was very well maintained and clean, a great place to see music! Leaving was pretty easy too, lots of room to get out quickly, without major traffics jams.

Went here for an Illini game…read more ILL-INI Employees helpful and cheerful Seats roomy and great view of the floor Rest rooms close and clean Parking lot easy in / easy out Just a great place to see an event And a big shout out to the U of I Police Department for their excellent work at ensuring people are safe and getting traffic away from the venue as efficiently as possible. Great time And experience all the way around

Lack of responsive customer service to solve ticketing issue. Assistance was requested several…read moretimes followed by very limited communication. The solution, which was also not communicated, came late. Costly.