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World Cup on Walnut Street: 90 Minutes with C-U’s Congolese Diaspora

Boswell pays a visit to Les Gourmets Cuisine in downtown Champaign for a World Cup match more than a half century in the making.

This Is Our Culture

On the eve of the Final Four, Boswell looks at how this year's basketball team fits into Champaign-Urbana's cultural landscape.

The Vacant Windows Theory

Champaign grows candle by candle, window by window. Jared stops by the blog to show how small bets and walkable blocks shape real prosperity.

Hitting Snooze on Reality: Dreaming Bigger Than Ever About Illinois Football

Johnathan returns to the blog for his annual Illini football preview, where expectations are higher than ever in recent memory.

This Building Shouldn’t Be Controversial

A century-old home. A growing housing crisis. And a city caught between its past and its promises.

I Would Log Off Twitter If It Weren't For Illini Basketball

Before the NCAA Tournament tips off for the Illini, Johnathan takes a look back at this season via Twitter discourse.

Meyers Leonard's New Song is Good, Actually

Johnathan takes a listen (or a few) to former Illini star Meyers Leonard's debut country single and reaches a surprising conclusion.

The Bar Is On The Floor

After repeated acts of public antisemitism, a Champaign City Council member refuses to resign amid backlash.

Fear and Loathing in Dan Vegas

Johnathan spends a night in Central Illinois' newest sin city: Danville (or Dan Vegas)

If Illinois Football Can Be Saved, Anything Is Possible

Johnathan takes a look at the new-found possibilities that come along with Illinois football's recent success

Fridays Are For The Sages

Johnathan takes a look at the conclusion of this year's high school football season, and what it means to be home.

Here We Go Again: Illinois Football, Delusional Hope and Unimagined Horrors

Johnathan stops by for this fourth annual Illini football preview, where he finds himself in a familiar and retrospective place.

FOIA Requests Illuminate Details in Shannon Investigation

By Johnathan Hettinger On December 28, Illinois men’s basketball star Terrence Shannon Jr. was indefinitely suspended after being charged with rape in Lawrence, Kansas. At the time, Athletic Director Josh Whitman said that the university had known about the allegations since September, but had not received any “actionable” information

Illini Football and the Burden of Expectations

Johnathan returns to the blog to preview a variety of scenarios for the upcoming 2023 Illinois football season.