The Origin of the Fighting Illini: A Dive into Illinois’ Unique Nickname

The basketball team from the University of is making headlines once again as they gear up for the NCAA Tournament. Coached by , the team, known as the , will be facing off against in the first round of March Madness.

Despite the team’s consistent appearances in the tournament under coach Underwood, they have yet to progress past the initial rounds. Last year, Illinois fell to 73-63 in their matchup against .

So, what exactly is the origin of the team’s unique nickname, the ? The term ‘Fighting Illini‘ has its roots traced back as far as 1911, with its first documented use in a basketball article referencing a game against .

The moniker ‘Fighting Illini’ was officially adopted for all of Illinois’ sports teams that same year, as reported in the university’s archives. The name is a nod to the Native American tribe known as the , which inhabited regions across Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas.

The Illini tribe was also represented by a mascot named from 1926 until its retirement in 2007. Chief Illiniwek’s portrayal was fulfilled by a student at the university. However, in 2005, the NCAA flagged the mascot as ‘hostile or abusive,’ leading to its discontinuation as one of the 19 mascots banned from postseason events.

Since then, Illinois has done away with an official mascot, leaving the team without a designated symbol. Among the proposed replacements for Chief Illiniwek in recent times was the , but the university has yet to finalize a new figurehead.