The Illinois Fighting Illini is made up of the athletic teams representing the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The Fighting Illini compete in the NCAA Division 1 Tournament and are an integral part of the Big Ten Conference. The Illinois Fighting Illini football team participates in the NCAA subdivision, also known as the NCAA Division 1-A.

The Fighting Illini are currently under the able leadership of head coach Ron Zook. For the year 2007, the Fighting Illini has a record of 9-4 and has also beaten the USC Trojans in the 2008 Rose Bowl. The 2008 Rose Bowl was Illini's first ever victory in this event. They had been the Big Ten Title Champions in 2001.

The home arena to the Fighting Illini is the Memorial Stadium, located on the campus of the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois. The Memorial Stadium was constructed in 1921, at a cost of $1.7 million. This stadium is dedicated to the servicemen and service women of the United States Armed Forces who laid down their lives for their country in World War I.

The stadium has a seating capacity of 69,249 people. The highest attendance for the Memorial Stadium was recorded in 1984, against the University of Missouri, with the total attendance at 78,297 people.