CHAMPAIGN — The construction dust has settled, the new Lou Henson court is in place and the arena is awash in cushy Illini orange and blue.
"State Farm Center Renovation: Phase 4" will debut at Wednesday's true Illini home opener against Notre Dame, and fans who paid a pretty penny for their new seats are eager to see the new digs.
Among the amenities: a new Traditions Club set in the middle of the $500,000-a-pop suites, patterned after Memorial Stadium's Colonnades Club and complete with padded chairs, TVs, "upscale concessions" and 8,000 square feet to mingle.
"I like the fact that at halftime and before the game there's a place to go now, to meet with people and talk and socialize," said Tom Scaggs, who chose the Traditions Club seats.