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Univ. Of Illinois Basketball, Football Programs Still Working To Find Traction In Chicago

The Univ. of Illinois men's basketball team hosts BYU on Saturday night at United Center in Chicago, but what was once a "must-see in a city critical to the UI's mission, Illinois basketball has slipped several notches, failing to make a splash in a market it so desperately wants to conquer," according to Marcus Jackson of the Champaign NEWS-GAZETTE. UI has "lost five of its last nine regular-season games in Chicago with alums, recruiting targets and influential high school coaches watching." Chicago PR firm KemperLesnik is running Saturday's doubleheader at United Center -- Dayton plays Northwestern in the opener -- and a representative from the company on Monday "declined to disclose the number of tickets that have been sold." Tickets, starting at $40, "remain available online through TicketMaster and the United Center box office." Jackson noted the UI marketing department has "made a push to ensure that its Chicago fans are aware of Saturday's game." However, season-ticket holders and I-Fund members were "provided opportunities to buy tickets earlier than the general public through digital encounters and information that came in the mail along with renewal notices." In recent years, the football program has "made a push to infiltrate the market to mixed results," making it "clear Illinois hasn't moved the needle in Chicago in its revenue-generating sports." But it is a "tall order for any college program to crack a market dominated by five major professional sports franchises." Chicago-based WSCR-AM host Laurence Holmes said, "(Northwestern) has accomplished their goal of becoming Chicago's Big Ten team. ... Illini football is behind damn near everybody." But he added, "There's still room for them, there's still room for Illinois" (Champaign NEWS-GAZETTE, 12/13).

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