Illini Prepare for Saturday Scrimmage
Illinois wraps up Day 8 in Rantoul - 8/21/98

It was a hot one in Rantoul this afternoon as players worked out in shells after spending the morning in pads. Following dinner, the team listened to short motivational presentation by former UI standout wide receiver and longtime C-U businessman and community leader John Wright, Sr.

"FIRST OF AMERICA ILLINI KICKOFF SPECIAL" WRAPS UP FILMING:
The "First of America Illini Kickoff" one-hour season preview program on Illinois football finished filming this morning in Rantoul. WCIA-TV Channel 3 is producing the program, hosted by sports personalities Chris Widlic, Mike Cleff and Jason Overstreet. The opening of the show was taped this morning at the Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum, an outstanding collection of exhibits and actual airplanes celebrating flight and delving into the history of the former Chanute Air Force Base. The WCIA crew, directed by Al Shubert, along with videographers Gregg Henness and Joe Harmon, completed the segment openings for the program, set to air locally on WCIA Friday, August 28 at 7 p.m. and on Fox Sports Chicago Thursday, Sept. 3 at 9 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 5 at 11 a.m., along with various locations throughout the state of Illinois and St. Louis. Check your local listings.

THE STRAIGHT SCOOP ON CLOSED FOOTBALL PRACTICE:
Beginning Wednesday, August 26 at Memorial Stadium, Illinois football practice will be closed to the general public and open to the media for the first 20 minutes and final five minutes . Videographers and photographers are welcome to shoot players and coaches on the practice field during warmups prior to stretching exercises. Following the horn to begin stretching exercises, media members, photographers and videographers will have an additional 20 minutes to view and shoot practice from the sideline. The end-of-practice time will be posted every day and available from the UI SID office.

ICE AND POPSICLES:
In the 90 degree heat of double sessions, the Illini football program uses an incredible quantity of ice for medical treatment, ice tubs and cooling down drinks. On an average day at Rantoul '98, the Illini consume approximately 350 pounds of ice. Molded together, 350 pounds of ice is roughly the size of a truck and may not be enough to sink the Titanic, but could surely drop a houseboat or cabin cruiser. The Illini also consume several hundred popsicles per day. There is no runaway flavor winner among the players, but root beer is the media choice.