CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois football coach Lovie Smith and his staff invite Illini Nation to a National Signing Day event Wednesday, Feb. 1 to celebrate the 2017 Fighting Illini recruiting class.

The public event will take place at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center on the U of I Campus (601 S. Lincoln Ave., Urbana). Doors will open to the public at 6 p.m., the program is slated to begin at 6:15 p.m., and the event should be completed around 7 p.m.  

Fans will have an opportunity to hear from Coach Smith, the Illinois coaching staff and Director of Athletics Josh Whitman about the newest members of the Fighting Illini family. A Q&A with Coach Smith is planned as part of the program.

Parking will be available in the lots and meters surrounding the Alumni Center and is free of charge after 5 p.m. Parking is also available in the Krannert Center parking garage.

In addition to the events at the Alumni Center, there will be complete coverage throughout signing day at FightingIllini.com, including a Signing Day Central website tracking when each letter of intent arrives, highlight videos, extensive Twitter updates via @IlliniFootball, behind-the-scenes photos and videos from the "War Room," and a press conference officially announcing the class. More details on the full FightingIllini.com national signing day coverage will be announced as Feb. 1 approaches.