Had a chance to talk to UI associate athletic director Warren Hood before Saturday's Illini football game against Louisiana-Lafayette. As the athletic department's point man on the Memorial Stadium renovation project, Hood's life has been consumed by this task since it began in November 2006. It continues to be.
Chances are the vast majority of fans who attended both of the Illini's first two home football games this season didn't notice much difference between how the place looked for the grand unveiling and Game 2 on Saturday. But the work does continue.
Following the home opener, work crews returned Monday to continue installation of electrical systems, put up glass walls that serve as partitions between the luxury suites, and complete cabinetry work in the press box.
"There was still a lot of power that still needed to be installed in certain areas," Hood said. "There were glitches in certain places with the electrical system and we wanted to get that cleaned up for the second game."
By Friday, work crews needed to shift their focus to clean-up for the next day's game. In essence, the actual renovation work last week was limited to four days because of the need to clear work debris on Friday for game day.
Work crews aren't facing that type of interruption this week. And they won't the following two weeks either. After a bye in the schedule this week, the Illini football team hits the road the next two Saturdays.
During the week following the home opener, Hood sensed that the pace of the project hit a hiccup. That's probably understandable, given the long hours and the pressure to meet the season-opening deadline that crews faced.
"I think we lost a little bit of energy this past week just because everybody was working 16 to 20 hours a day leading up to it," Hood said. "And you get to the point you get it done, and then you exhale a little bit. Monday, Tuesday people were dragging.  And then Wednesday, Thursday, we started to pick up the pace.
"But we can't have that happen again, so this next month is crucial."
During the window of time before the Illini play their next home game, on Oct. 11 versus Minnesota, all involved in the project will go through the so-called punch list of remaining tasks and inspections of work done. The UI paid a lot of money for a new-look Memorial Stadium ($120.9 million) and they have a right to expect their money's worth.
In Hood's view, they also have a right to see a completely finished project by the time Illinois and Minnesota take the field here next month.
"My intention is that we have everything done by Oct. 11," Hood said. "I'll be very, very upset if we don't have all the kinks out, if we don't have all the work done by Oct. 11.
"That is our goal."