The Big Ten Football Media Days are for me like seeing the first robins in late winter that indicate that spring is not far away. 

Another comparision might be the first day of major league baseball spring training.  Everyone is optimistic about their chances and managers and players are in a pretty relaxed mode.

Its the first chance for the Big Ten Coaches to interact with the media after a few months of being out of the intense "in-season" media spotlight..  All 11 coaches are usually tanned and rested after a couple of weeks of July vacation and everyone is looking forward to getting their student-athletes back on the field..

It ia also a chance for the media to interact with some of the best football players in the Big Ten Conference on a one-on-one basis and spend a little time hearing the perspective of other coaches on their own teams and the Big Ten as a whole.

You might even bump into a school mascot like Bucky Badger or Willie Wildcat during the two days in the Windy City. 

So how many days is it until  the Illini start Camp Rantoul?  Check with Bob Asmussen in his Daily Countdown.