B1G Media Day Coverage
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The Fighting Illini traveled to Chicago to kick off the 2016 season with the annual Big Ten Media Day and Kickoff Luncheon. Illinois was represented by head coach Lovie Smith, QB Wes Lunt, DE Dawuane Smoot and RB Ke'Shawn Vaughn on Tuesday at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place.
The trio of Illini players started things off Monday evening with a trip to the WGN and Comcast SportsNet Chicago studios before things got going bright and early Tuesday morning for Lovie and the Illini.
Coach Smith started off the day with his opening press conference at 8 a.m. CT in front of a ballroom full of reporters. Then Lunt joined Smith with a live interview on Sirius XM radio at 8:30 a.m. and they were off. What followed was a whirlwind day that saw the Illini representatives speak with dozens of local, regional and national media, and filled with one-on-one television network interviews, ESPN and BTN photo shoots, a visit to "Radio Row" and an hour-long podium media session where the Fighting Illini fielded questions from hundreds of media members who bounced around the room.
In between all that was the public Fan Fest and the 45th Annual Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon in a ballroom with with nearly 2,000 Big Ten supporters. The Illini wrapped up the day on the studio set for BTN Live.
The Fighting Illini open Training Camp on August 4 and the 2016 season on Sept. 3. Tickets are available now.
