Wisch: Can Illini Afford To Stick With Beckman Too Long?
Illinois has a nearly two-decade tradition of retaining coaches at least one season too long.
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Illinois has a nearly two-decade tradition of retaining coaches at least one season too long.
Right now, Illinois football isn't going anywhere. But in the future? Well, it could be.
And this deeper dilemma affecting U. of I. athletics is so discouraging that after reading this column, you very well may be driven to drink yourself.
According to multiple sources, key Illini boosters have made it clear to Illinois Athletic Director Mike Thomas that Weber's $3.9 million buyout should not stand in the way of making a change.
Terry Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune joined The McNeil and Spiegel Show to break down college football.
The University of Illinois is on the clock. But it's Bruce Weber and Ron Zook who can hear theirs ticking. At about 5 p.m. this evening Illinois will be without an official athletic director for the first time since 1992.
The University of Illinois has hired the firm Parker Executive Search to help the school find the successor to retiring athletic director Ron Guenther.
Ron Guenther has served as the Director of Athletics for the University of Illinois for the last 19 years. On Monday, he announced that he would retire after the competition of his contract on June 30.
There was a fire in Champaign this week. Early Wednesday, a blaze started in a building on Green Street – the main Campustown drag – and destroyed a couple of popular restaurants.
This is the risk you run when you recruit eighth-graders.
The Illini aren't quite living up to expectations but coach Bruce Weber has a plan to fix the team's problems. The Athletic Director has confidence in Weber too.
The State of Illinois is caught in a blizzard. And the state of Illinois basketball is caught in a bind. So … which one digs itself out first?
As a University of Illinois season ticket holder, I've watched a lot of Ron Zook football during the past six years. Most of it bad.
Most Illini fans were pleasantly surprised by the team's 5-3 start. But with back-to-back loses, Ron Zook is beginning to hear the criticism.
Two weeks ago there was talk of Illinois winning as many as nine games and playing in a Post New Years' bowl game. Loses to Michigan and Minnesota in consecutive weeks have instead dampened those dreams and now the best the Illini can hope for is a 7-5 finish.
As the season of giving comes to a close, the season of returning begins, but this year it could cost you more.
On Nov. 4, UPS Flight 2976 bound for Hawaii crashed moments after takeoff from Louisville International Airport, where UPS has its global aviation hub.
While much of the city is quiet on Christmas Day, Chicago's Chinatown buzzes with tradition, food and family.
It was an extra special Christmas Day for 50 recruits from Naval Station Great Lakes, who were surprised with a trip off base in the middle of bootcamp for some holiday cheer.
More than 1,500 people are feeling the Christmas joy thanks to St. Sabina Church in Chicago's Auburn Gresham neighborhood.
The strikes come after President Trump spent weeks accusing the West African country's government of failing to rein in the persecution of Christians.
The message, aired on Channel 4 on Christmas Day, reflected on the impact of President Trump's second term in office thus far.
Pope Leo XIV has revealed he privately urged Gov. JB Pritzker not to sign a bill legalizing medical assistance in dying in Illinois.
President Trump invoked a law called Title 10 to bring members of the Illinois National Guard under federal service over the objections of state and local leaders.
A host of new laws in Illinois will take effect on Jan. 1, 2026. From gun safety to rogue towers, protection from squatters, medical assistance in dying, protections for immigrants and more, here are some of the most notable changes in the new year.
A new report shines a light on electricity shortages that Illinois could face in less than 10 years.
With less than two weeks until Christmas, if you're sending gifts to people far from home, the deadlines to get them there on time are fast approaching.
A condo owner in Country Club Hills says he's forced to sell his home after his condo association failed to reimburse him for repairs to his leaking roof. Edward Hadnott's condo has sat empty since a major roof leak in 2022.
The U.S. stopped minting pennies this week, and some groups have issued a warning about the headaches that can create for some businesses and consumers.
Why is one school in the west Chicago suburb of Lisle paying a water bill three times higher than another? The answer has to do with a private utility company.
Millions of people with an Affordable Care Act health plan face a massive jump in premiums next year — this chart shows just how much.
It's the holiday season, which means it's the most common time of year for norovirus to spread. Here's what you need to know about this winter stomach bug.
A study conducted in part by Chicago's Northwestern Medicine found that tanning beds not only triple the risk of melanoma, but can also damage DNA across nearly the whole skin surface.
An investigation into the case of a Michigan man who contracted rabies after an organ transplant provided more details on the infection's origin.
The newest measles vaccination numbers released by Chicago Public Schools shows immunizations are finally moving in the right direction.
The Chicago Bears are expanding their search for a new stadium to Northwest Indiana, even though they already own land in Arlington Heights and have also proposed a new lakefront stadium in Chicago.
A Culver's is coming to Chicago's South Loop, a real estate broker has confirmed.
A new vision for passenger rail is on track in southeastern Wisconsin. The MARK Passenger Rail Commission held its inaugural meeting on December 5, 2025, at Racine City Hall.
U.S. Steel says it'll resume making steel slabs at its Granite City Works plant in Illinois amid strengthening demand.
Traffic at O'Hare International Airport is growing faster than expected, and this has Chicago city leaders wanting to make big changes to future construction plans at the airport.
The message, aired on Channel 4 on Christmas Day, reflected on the impact of President Trump's second term in office thus far.
The singer said an MRI showed a cancerous spot on one of his lungs after he recovered from a lengthy bout of bronchitis.
James Ransone, the actor who played Ziggy Sobotka in the HBO series "The Wire" and appeared in many other TV shows and movies, has died.
Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre is hosting "The Phantom of the Opera," and staff offered a firsthand look at the iconic chandelier inside the theater this week.
The special features interviews with Kathy Bates, Annette Bening, Albert Brooks, Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland, Jerry O'Connell and Mandy Patinkin.
Morning showers with mild temperatures Friday. Highs around 50.
No ticket, no problem; some airports are starting to provide gate passes that allow people to go to the gate to meet or stay with arriving and departing friends and family.
As the season of giving comes to a close, the season of returning begins, but this year it could cost you more.
California, soaked from days of relentless rain and recovering from mudslides in mountain towns, was hit with another powerful storm Christmas Day.
President Donald Trump said the U.S. launched a “powerful and deadly" strike against Islamic State forces in Nigeria, after weeks of accusing their government of failing to rein in the persecution of Christians.
As the season of giving comes to a close, the season of returning begins, but this year it could cost you more.
While much of the city is quiet on Christmas Day, Chicago's Chinatown buzzes with tradition, food and family.
For the ninth year in a row, a Chicago nonprofit lined up a caravan of cars and toys to make surprise stops around the city, mainly on the South Side.
"Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria," President Trump said.
On Nov. 4, UPS Flight 2976 bound for Hawaii crashed moments after takeoff from Louisville International Airport, where UPS has its global aviation hub.
Cameras not working, video evidence missed by police and a psychic that leads a hit and run victim's son to a clue that changes the case
Some Chicago area hospitals are at risk of significant flooding both in and around the buildings, according to new KFF Health News/Fathom models.
Lawmakers in Springfield are looking to address the high water bills being reported in some suburbs from customers of Illinois American Water.
Electric bills in the Chicago area could go up as much as $70 in the next three years because of data centers, according to the Citizens Utility Board.
Advocates and legislators are seeking solutions and and accountability for a pattern of Chicago police arresting Black gun owners on firearms charges despite valid FOID and CCL licenses.
One year ago, the Chicago Bears were fighting for draft positioning. Now they've clinched a playoff spot in the first year of a new coaching regime.
As the 11-4 Chicago Bears prepare for their Sunday night matchup with the 11-4 San Francisco 49ers, one player earned an extra Christmas present from the league thanks to his impressive performance against the Green Bay Packers.
Travis Konecny scored and added his 300th career assist, leading the Philadelphia Flyers past the Blackhawks 3-1 and handing depleted Chicago its sixth straight loss.
The Bulls trailed 117-107 but closed the game on a 19-6 run.
Three Chicago Bears players have been named to the 2026 NFC Pro Bowl roster: safety Kevin Byard III, center Drew Dalman, and left guard Joe Thuney.
A woman was released on electronic monitoring Wednesday after authorities said she drove drunk and caused a crash that injured a family of four in Lombard, Illinois.
Multiple cars were broken into this week in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood.
Four women have been charged with leading police on a high-speed chase after stealing from a retail store in the west Chicago suburb of Villa Park.
A woman has been charged with attacking four people at a CTA bus stop in the Lawndale neighborhood, including a woman she allegedly slashed with a broken beer bottle after threatening that woman's mother.
Three teens have been charged with sexually assaulting a classmate this past summer at a graduation party for St. Viator High School students.
