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General Category => Fighting Illini Basketball Forum => Topic started by: Custard on May 06, 2026, 12:18:59 AM

Title: Golden Era
Post by: Custard on May 06, 2026, 12:18:59 AM
Illini one of two schools that have had a 10 win football season and final four basketball team in the last two years.

(https://i.ibb.co/twTkdS72/IMG-4109.jpg) (https://ibb.co/xKtP4ypg)

And Houston doesn’t even count in football.

Suck it, haters.
Title: Re: Golden Era
Post by: ridingthegrange on May 06, 2026, 09:33:07 AM
Yessir!  And we look to be on a sustainable path.  Compare to Hoosiers and their Faustian football coach. 
Title: Re: Golden Era
Post by: Beach Bum on May 06, 2026, 10:14:21 AM
I would say we're back. But this is the golden era. The best it's ever been (in modern era as I can't speak to 60+ years ago).
Title: Re: Golden Era
Post by: ILLove1997 on May 06, 2026, 11:33:56 AM
Enjoy these moments while they last because they won't be forever!
Title: Re: Golden Era
Post by: No one in Mn on May 06, 2026, 11:53:42 AM
The best it's ever been (in modern era as I can't speak to 60+ years ago).
Oh I can. Terry Masar, the punter, was team MVP one year. The assumption being, I guess, that we would have been worse without him.
Title: Re: Golden Era
Post by: ridingthegrange on May 06, 2026, 12:56:57 PM
That was on the heels of the Slush Fund scandal in late 60's.  Both teams then were approaching where we are now.  Michigan AD Canham, was rumored to be the one who blew the whistle. 
Title: Re: Golden Era
Post by: ThePAMan on May 06, 2026, 03:25:41 PM
The early 80's belonged to The Illini.
Title: Re: Golden Era
Post by: Judge Judy on May 06, 2026, 06:53:32 PM
The early 80's belonged to The Illini.

Wait, did we win a championship in TOTTM…
Title: Re: Golden Era
Post by: Custard on May 07, 2026, 01:58:54 AM
That was on the heels of the Slush Fund scandal in late 60's.  Both teams then were approaching where we are now.  Michigan AD Canham, was rumored to be the one who blew the whistle.

I thought it was a disgruntled internal person that blew the whistle? Either way other teams were mad at our ascension but were doing the exact same things we were or worse. 
Title: Re: Golden Era
Post by: illiniray on May 07, 2026, 09:46:04 PM
I thought it was a disgruntled internal person that blew the whistle? Either way other teams were mad at our ascension but were doing the exact same things we were or worse.

My Dad told me that Assistant AD Mel Brewer kept records of the payments. Brewer turned these over to President Henry after FB coach Pete Elliott was chosen to succeed retiring AD Doug Mills.

Those payments totalled $21,000 over 5 years. That would be about $220.000 in current value.

That doesn't count the off books stuff like 20 dollar + handshakes. Twenty dollars was a lot of cash in 1966.

There are several theories on why Brewer kept records. I gather it was to use as blackmail?
Title: Re: Golden Era
Post by: Reacher on May 08, 2026, 08:06:57 AM
Illini one of two schools that have had a 10 win football season and final four basketball team in the last two years.

(https://i.ibb.co/twTkdS72/IMG-4109.jpg) (https://ibb.co/xKtP4ypg)

And Houston doesn’t even count in football.

Suck it, haters.

I think you American pied it a year or two ago when you said it. We’re close enough now not to quibble. Will it have staying power? Let’s hope so.  TBD.
Title: Re: Golden Era
Post by: ThePAMan on June 04, 2026, 03:10:29 PM
Imagine how much the AD's office could make betting against us in Final Four games!

https://www.semafor.com/article/06/04/2026/a-soccer-team-bet-against-itself-this-is-the-good-future-of-prediction-markets

The owners of a top-tier Spanish soccer team had to move fast. Coming into the final game of the season, the club was on the brink of getting kicked down to a lower league, which would have meant millions in lost ticket and broadcast revenue.

So they turned to Kalshi, placing a multimillion-dollar bet against itself, in case the game didn’t break its way. In the end, the club squeaked by with a 1-0 win in the final game of the season, keeping its place in the top tier of La Liga.

***


To orchestrate the trade, the team went to Game Point Capital, a firm that helps professional and college teams protect themselves financially against costs associated with too much winning (coach bonuses for playoff appearances, for example) and too much losing (lost TV revenue). Game Point usually balances that risk by taking out insurance policies from the likes of Lloyd’s of London, but it’s increasingly testing the waters with prediction markets like Kalshi, according to Game Point CEO Will Hall.

“We want to see how prediction markets would handle this and it was a good test case — a large and binary outcome,” Hall said in an interview with Semafor.
Title: Re: Golden Era
Post by: Custard on June 28, 2026, 07:54:51 PM
From Jeff Johnson’s email newsletter today:

(https://i.ibb.co/PZxs0r33/IMG-4887.jpg) (https://ibb.co/1fZYj0hh)

Custard AOTC again!!!!
Title: Re: Golden Era
Post by: ThePAMan on June 29, 2026, 07:48:16 AM
From Jeff Johnson’s email newsletter today:

(https://i.ibb.co/PZxs0r33/IMG-4887.jpg) (https://ibb.co/1fZYj0hh)

Custard AOTC again!!!!

He limited it to hoops though.
Title: Re: Golden Era
Post by: Custard on June 29, 2026, 08:02:06 AM
It goes without saying that we are in a golden era in football, we have 8, 9, and 10 win seasons in the last 4!
Title: Re: Golden Era
Post by: No one in Mn on June 29, 2026, 09:36:36 AM
And I'm good if we can go 7-6 and a bowl game in a rebuilding year.
Title: Re: Golden Era
Post by: Reacher on June 29, 2026, 11:21:50 AM
It seems we may be in a “golden era.” You were probably a bit premature (hope that’s not a regular problem) when you said it. Let’s see if the golden era has any staying power.
Title: Re: Golden Era
Post by: Custard on June 30, 2026, 01:25:26 AM
It seems we may be in a “golden era.” You were probably a bit premature (hope that’s not a regular problem) when you said it. Let’s see if the golden era has any staying power.

That Illinois athletics is in a golden era is now a foregone conclusion. Whether I have a premature conclusion issue is neither here nor there, but I will say I can manage a quickie as I did last night in the garage but also accommodate a more extended session as needed.
Title: Re: Golden Era
Post by: ThePAMan on June 30, 2026, 04:28:21 PM
ILLINOIS MEN'S BASKETBALL PUBLIC SEASON TICKETS ARE SOLD OUT FOR THE 2026-27 SEASON

Illinois Men's Basketball public season tickets are sold out for the upcoming 2026-27 campaign, marking the third straight year that all State Farm Center season ticket inventory has been sold.

Fighting Illini Basketball enters the 2026-27 season with high expectations, returning five key players from last year's team, which advanced to the NCAA Tournament Final Four and finished with a No. 5 ranking.

Mini plan packages and single-game ticket information will be available at a later date.
Title: Re: Golden Era
Post by: ThePAMan on June 30, 2026, 04:32:43 PM
And I'm good if we can go 7-6 and a bowl game in a rebuilding year.

Have to admit this would qualify as "Golden Era" material for Illini sports....
Title: Re: Golden Era
Post by: Custard on June 30, 2026, 11:31:38 PM
Have to admit this would qualify as "Golden Era" material for Illini sports....

I really like being relevant in both revenue sports.

Thanks, Guenther Lite!
Title: Re: Golden Era
Post by: No one in Mn on July 17, 2026, 09:44:49 AM
Whitman gets a bump in pay and an extension ...

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/49379313/illinois-awards-ad-josh-whitman-extension-raise
Title: Re: Golden Era
Post by: Judge Judy on July 17, 2026, 12:37:37 PM
Whitman gets a bump in pay and an extension ...

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/49379313/illinois-awards-ad-josh-whitman-extension-raise

Well deserved. He’s definitely no Guenther-lite…
Title: Re: Golden Era
Post by: Custard on July 17, 2026, 02:36:22 PM
Well deserved. He’s definitely no Guenther-lite…

Amen
Title: Re: Golden Era
Post by: ridingthegrange on July 17, 2026, 03:41:20 PM
Well deserved. He’s definitely no Guenther-lite…

You bet!  He's building a legacy.
Title: Re: Golden Era
Post by: ridingthegrange on July 30, 2026, 07:35:37 AM
This seems to be catching on:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/basketball/is-this-the-golden-age-of-illinois-basketball/ar-AA293Ok2?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=6a6b43b12c944ccaa586f8558a63b4ce&ei=58
Title: Re: Golden Era
Post by: No one in Mn on July 30, 2026, 07:44:37 AM
Thanks. 👍
Title: Re: Golden Era
Post by: bringbackself on July 31, 2026, 06:16:05 AM
Golden eara was kruger and self
Title: Re: Golden Era
Post by: Custard on July 31, 2026, 01:38:13 PM
I should have copyrighted it