I said to myself that if the Illinois Fighting Illini defeated the Nebraska Cornhuskers, I would purchase 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 read more

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I spent a decade at U of I for my undergraduate degree and PhD. I went to one football game basically 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. read more

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First time here! This stadium is amazing and here's why: It's clean and beautiful They get you in and out fast! I've been to other stadiums and you wait in que forever to get in and to leave when the game is over. The food vendors were plentiful The bathrooms were extremely clean, large, and centrally located. I sat on the 20 yard line 3 rows up, had a great view of the huge beautiful scoreboard. The staff were all very helpful and friendly I enjoyed the traditional architecture details - especially the brickwork around the top of the structure. The fans of both teams were super respectful and kind to one another, which was really refreshing to see. They were all there for the love of football that we all share. Memorial stadium has a great Big Ten feel, If I get the opportunity I will definitely be back. It was a great experience. read more

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Fun to watch, I like the school colors, fun campus, not much to say about the location, parking, food, or weather.

Visited today my daughter's school band participated in band day. The stadium itself was great, it was crowded but there was space between myself and others around me. This is a cashless stadium which I love, you order ur food and pay at a kiosk and within a few minutes your food is packaged and ready to go. There was a lot of Illini school spirit in the stadium. I did take off a star for parking, why do we have to walk 10-15 minutes away for parking and the lot nearest the stadium was pretty empty. read more

Memorial Stadium - The band! - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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This is a biased review. Both my kids are/were students. I don't like the color orange but will wear it proudly when I'm here, which today is Dads weekend. It starts with a flyby of an F-15 fighter jet followed by 3 parachutists. One of them has a giant American flag dangling and they all land pretty much on the fifty yard line. Anything that follows is pretty much gray. One the second possession against Minnesota they Scored a touchdown run - GRAVY. read more

Memorial Stadium - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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This is for concessions, specifically beer. It took me the entire 1st quarter to get a beer, everybody has to pull their own out of a cooler & serve themselves. The Problem; 1 person, ONE, running the card machine. Only TWO for the entire SW corner of the stadium. UNACCEPTABLE!! read more

The stadium is historic and interesting, but the fans embrace of their history of racist stereotyping makes the place less than pleasant to visit. The games are poorly attended so it's hard to understand why the largely empty closer parking lots won't allow in paying customers. The more distant also not filled lots still charge the same amount as the closer restricted half empty lots at $20 per, which is a little insulting. Just a tad more distant in the business area you can find $10 parking. Since the games are so poorly attended getting in and out is much faster than in other Big10 stadiums. On my last visit the student section didn't have enough students to fill an intro chemistry class lecture hall, they were heavily outnumbered by the marching band. The marching band is quite good and I would have enjoyed both the half time and post game show if only they could let go of their links to the racist mascot. Stanford and Marquette did, but of course those two are elite academic programs so maybe that's part of the problem here, hard to say. The racism isn't as overt as it once was so it's tolerable even if you're AmerIndian or educated. Security is quite good, the police are obviously very professional and deployed to prevent problems. Ushers are competent and helpful, entry was quick but part of this is that the incoming crowd is so sparse. Food service is lackadaisical, the food quality and choices average and more or less typically overpriced. Given that I was the only one in line and ordering food 5 minutes to game time I was a bit nonplussed that I had to wait for fries. On a cold day the hot chocolate was nice and hot but about half strength, more like hot water with a good hint of the taste of cocoa. Usually I like eating in a college football stadium as part of the game day experience but I think in the case of U of I, from now on I'm going to have lunch or late breakfast before coming in. All in all I don't see a reason to come here for a game unless you get the tickets for free or your alma mater is visiting. read more

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A wonderful venue for college football. Historic. Great sight lines. Modernized. It is a disgrace the football program is a rudderless ship and has been for half a Century. This is a wonderful spot to spend an Autumn afternoon. This is the team of Central Illinois as the Chicago alumni are apathetic. read more

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Best place to watch a game is only two hours away in good ole Champaign, plenty of reasonable parking, good food and mild weather until the last game. We have season tickets for a mere 77.00- quite the deal! But if you get them, make sure you pony up the extra money for the installed seat cushions. It keeps you warmer and marks your seat. Too bad there isn't a bit more Oskee Wow Wow on the team this year and at halftime - bring back the Chief! read more

Memorial Stadium - Where's the Chief? - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

This place has seen better days. - Parking sucks. - One of the least energetic fan bases. - Nothing too beautiful to look at. - Gameday atmosphere lacks. It doesn't scream Big Ten football here at all. read more

If you ever want to see a non-existent student section, stop here. Granted, the team is deplorable so I don't fault them for being a no-show. I would say the end zone seats are probably the worst option as there is a pretty large gap between the actual end zone and the start of seating and makes following the game tough. (Pro-tip: The first row of the endzone seating is 16-Don't ask me why). read more

College Football games, particularly in the Big Ten, are fun and have a cool atmosphere. We've had season tickets here for 6 years now and one year, they even had a winning season. The seats are cold and can be pretty crowded if you don't pony up the money to get seat cushions installed. As season tickets are so low, it isn't that bad of a deal. Parking can be plentiful if you make a donation to the I Fund, then you get parking passes at a designated lots. This also helps the Athletic department and gets you emails with offers to other events before they go on sale to the general public. If you are thinking about subscribing to football tickets, I would recommend you look into it. As far as the team goes, well, it's another rebuilding year. And the NCAA took the Chief away but still, we are there for the Orange and Blue through thick and thin. read more

Nice, big stadium for a nice, big school. Lets break it down with WINS and LOSSES: WIN - classical architecture, pretty historic building WIN - honorable 'memorial' instead of corporate sponsor WIN - very big: large enough to host NFL Chicago Bears games WIN - tailgaiting on game days is fun WIN - new sleek-looking press box WIN - stadium isn't too far from campus so it is possible to park cheaply and walk to the game LOSE - horrible Illini football program LOSE - nike's Illini football jerseys are too vividly ugly--the refs never miss seeing their penalties Overall, its a great game-day experience in a historic building on the prairies of Illinois. 4 stars! read more

Visited here with my daughter to get a feel for the college spirit. A few drunk people but overall it was a great family friendly environment. read more

We are Mizzou fans, tried & true, but a friend wanted us to accompany him to his beloved Illini game for a day so we decided to go see what the hype was about on the other side of the river. The tailgaters are amazing - and they go for miles and pack themselves in as deep as they can go. The lines to get into the stadium move pretty fast. Be sure to have your stuff ready to be checked if you have a purse of some sorts. Food and drinks are a bit on the pricey side rather than some stadiums I've been in. The stadium staff was friendly and ready to help whenever it was needed. Be prepared to wait in big groups of people to get out at the end of the game or leave a bit early if you don't want the wait. read more

This is our fifth year with season tickets. We love going to all of the games. The staff is always helpful and friendly, the seats are easy to find and the concessions are pretty good too. The renovations look great and we finally have seats where we can see the scoreboard. I-L-L...... read more

Still a great place to watch a Big Ten football game. And the band. And the fans. But where's the Chief??? No need to pay high parking fees. Check around campus for parking lots that are not restricted on the weekends. They're everywhere. We parked for free and had a nice 15 minute walk to the stadium (walking by even more free parking spaces). read more

Memorial Stadium is great. It's big yet cozy, renovated yet full of tradition, loud yet respectful. For many of us, it will always be a memory filled building where we spent many Saturday afternoons watching the Fighting Illini. Cheering crazily whether they were winning or losing. read more

We came down for the IHSA finals and I actually had to ask if this is really the Illini stadium. I don't mean to disrespect the place, but heck there are plenty of high schools in TX that have bigger stadiums. My kid goes to a PAC-12 school, so maybe I am a bit spoiled, but we looked around and agreed that her school's is at least 3x the size. I was also disappointed by the lack of food options in concessions. I get it, I am going to get ripped off at the stadium, but under-filling nacho trays (drop in a few more chips, they only cost a few cents) is a joke. Cold Fries for $5? If our team comes back here next year, I think I'll just catch the game on tv. sorry read more

A couple of weeks ago was my first time attending the stadium for a game. The staff were friendly and helpful with everything that we needed. It was remarkable how into the game the fans got for the Illini vs. Western Michigan game, yet at the same time disappointing to see the fans leave when Illini couldn't pull out a win. I didn't mind parking far away but the food was a bit on the pricy side. The atmosphere is really what matters the most, I think, and the Illini fans rock that out better than anywhere else I have seen. read more

Memorial Stadium - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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Memorial Stadium as a venue is pretty clean. As the home of the Fighting Illini football team, it's a great place to go to with affordable tickets. They pack the seats in pretty tight for a college stadium (nearly 20 seats to a row so if you're stuck in the middle, it's ahrd to get out). It's also a fairly long walk from the bottom of the stadium to the top seats. Seeing the Illini marching band perform is definitely a strong plus. A word of caution... they only accept cash for food and drinks. Sitting near the Orange Krush section is awesome. They are noisy and loud. However, the fans aren't completely into the game. Don't get me wrong, they love their team, but it's not the best college environment I've been in. The basketball games are a lot more fun. read more

Hail to the orange, hail to the blue! I really think that Memorial Stadium is beautiful. Since the renovations, it looks especially fantastic. Lots of great memories from this place, and I love coming back to watch the homecoming game. Win or lose, I love going through all the cheers/dance moves that we used to do during college ("to the left!"), although now that we are alums, we don't have as much fun as when we used to sit in the student section. I have to say, last weekend when they played the Three-in-One, and the whole stadium rose to their feet and said "CHIIIIIIIEF" I got chills. This is one place where "homecoming" truly does feel like coming home. read more

Kent Brown prepares a great menu for pressers on the 8th floor. From the holiday meal to the fajitas its all top notch, i recommend the meatloaf. read more

It is by far not the biggest or the best or the most modern with all of the nicest luxuries. To hell with all of that because it provides a very intimate, comfortable and relaxing setting to watch a college game. It has personality as many college football stadiums tend to lack. it will always rank up there as one of my favorite spots to watch a game read more

Dear Memorial Stadium, Not only are you a beautiful horseshoe-shaped structure, but you are home to my beloved Illini. Thank you for years of football enjoyment and great memories. There were some bad years, but I think you've finally got those issues straightened out and we'll be happy together again. You may not seat as many people as the Big House or OSU Horseshoe, but you are my hallowed place. So I say to you, although you've heard it many times before, "I-L-L-I-N-I!!!" P.S. You're going to look so great once that facelift is done. Hopefully they'll get the west end seats back in soon and we'll be ready for an awesome 2008 season! read more

This stadium is historic and has a lot of history in their background. Also their is a rowdy environment in this stadium with the different sports fans. Their is a lot of excitement that builds up on game days when the Illini are playing football. Also I get to learn more about what Champaign, IL is all about! read more

Beautiful place to see a football game! All the updates to the west side are amazing, but the East side could use some work in the bathroom area. None the less it's a beautiful place and I'm sure I'll be there a lot of Saturdays in the fall! read more