CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — After an exciting 8-4 season, the Illini have qualified for their best bowl in over a decade. To make matters that much sweeter, they will be leaving the cold of Champaign for a much warmer climate.
On Bowl Selection Sunday, the committee announced that Illinois will head to Tampa, Florida, to face Mississippi State in the ReliaQuest Bowl (formerly Outback Bowl).
A few hours after the announcement, athletic director Josh Whitman, head coach Bret Bielema and a few players held a press conference to discuss what this bowl game means for the football program moving forward.