Eight home games in 2011

The 2011 Illinois football schedule was released Friday. One big question remains: What happens to the Nov. 26 home game against Wisconsin.

The school has hosted the state football finals since 1999. The title games are scheduled to remain in Champaign through the 2010 season.

In a 2008 interview, IHSA executive director Marty Hickman said:

"We’ll open up the bidding sometime in the spring of 2010. I haven’t heard a lot of noise about other communities (being interested), but it wouldn’t surprise me."

There was a conflict in 2001, with Illinois moving its game against Northwestern to Thanksgiving Day.

"It will be something we will have to deal with in the future," Illinois football SID Cassie Arner said. "That's not a new issue that we're dealing with."

For the first time in school history, the Illini will play eight home games.

Here's the 2011 schedule:

Sept. 3 - Arkansas State
Sept. 10 - South Dakota State
Sept. 17 - Arizona State
Sept. 24 - Western Michigan
Oct. 1 - Penn State
Oct. 8 - at Iowa
Oct. 15 - Northwestern
Oct. 22 - at Indiana
Nov. 5 - Michigan State
Nov. 12 - at Michigan
Nov. 19 - at Purdue
Nov. 26 - Wisconsin

The Arizona State game is changed from the original contract, which had Illinois playing in Tempe in 2011. Instead, the Illini will play at Arizona State in 2012.

The Western Michigan game is a return from the 2008 Illinois-Western Michigan matchup at Detroit.

Bob Asmussen's take: Illinois addresses the concern of fans who have been asking for more home games. The schedule sets up the team for a potential big season. Illinois doesn't leave town until Oct. 8. And note that Ohio State falls off the schedule in 2011 (along with Minnesota).

 

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