Touching all the Bases

Reunion time

Posted by: Jeff Huth

Friday, August 22, 2008 10:44 AM

The unveiling of a renovated Memorial Stadium for the season opener on Sept. 6 - dubbed the Illinois Renaissance Celebration Game - is attracting a Who's Who of Illini living legends in football. Seven days later, the UI men's basketball program will host A Night of Legends alumni game at the Assembly Hall. The first-of-its-kind Illini event - and hopefully not the last - will draw, among others, members of two of the greatest teams in the program's history: the 2005 NCAA runner-up bunch and the 1989 Final Four group. When it comes to events of this kind on campus, however, UI football and men's basketball are latecomers to the public reunion party. Illini volleyball has been staging alumni matches since 1984. Although they haven't always matched alumni teams against the UI varsity - NCAA scheduling rules sometimes throw up a roadblock - past Illini players always have appeared on their old home court to belt the ball around. The latest UI alumni volleyball exhibition takes place at 7 p.m. Saturday at Huff Hall. The list of commitments includes such notables as Melissa Beitz, Cristy Chapman, Lydia Ferguson, Shadia Haddad, Mary Coleman, Kelly Scherr and Sue Nucci. Having covered several of these events, I've always been struck by the fan interaction with the former players before and after the event. It's common to see longtime fans catching up with Illini alums, exchanging hugs and swapping recollections of younger days. In college sports, there's a lot of talk from coaches and athletes about fostering a family atmosphere. In some cases, to be blunt, it's pretty disingenuous (just asked any scholarship athlete who's ever been chased off a team). But here's a case where the family vibes between athletes and fans really ring true and strong. It's a neat sight.

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