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Spike the Record at Illini Madness will be held Friday at Assembly Hall. Doors open at 5:30.
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Oct. 15, 2009
Champaign, Ill. -
What exactly is this event?
Spike the Record at Illini Madness presented by the News-Gazette, WDWS and WHMS is a combined event for the Fighting Illini basketball and volleyball teams, taking place Friday at Assembly Hall. It begins with a pair of Top-10 volleyball teams in a critical Big Ten match, with the No. 10 Illini hosting No. 6 Minnesota. That match begins at 6:30 pm, with doors opening one hour prior, at 5:30 pm. At the conclusion of the match, we will officially tip-off the 2009-10 college basketball season with the unveiling of this year's Illinois basketball teams. Both the women's and men's teams will be introduced, there will be shooting contests, Mike Davis looks to defend his title in the slam dunk contest, and the men's team will scrimmage. There also will be a surprise or two along the way...
I've heard Illinois is trying to set an attendance record. What's the current record?
The attendance record for a women's college volleyball match is 13,870, set by Nebraska on Sept. 13, 2009. The attendance record for a volleyball match held in conjunction with a special promotion of another event is 16,126, set by North Carolina in 2003. The school record for Illini basketball madness is 13,405, set in 2005. Illinois is aiming to break all of those records Friday night.
How much does it cost?
Spike the Record at Illini Madness is free!
Do I need a ticket? If so, where can I get them?
125,000 promotional tickets have been distributed throughout the Champaign-Urbana area. They also are available at the Illinois Athletic Ticket office at Assembly Hall. The first 16,618 fans with a ticket will be admitted. For those that were unable to locate a ticket in advance, WDWS/WHMS has a small supply. Also, a limited quantity will be available at the door, while supplies last, for those traveling from out of town.
When does the event start?
The volleyball match begins at 6:30 and will be followed immediately by Illini madness.
When do doors open?
Doors open at 5:30. With the anticipation for this event at an all-time high, we are preparing for a capacity crowd Friday night. It is a first come-first served event, so fans are encouraged to arrive when the doors open at 5:30.
Where can I sit, and can I reserve a seat?
A ticket does not guarantee a seat. Seating is general admission and will be filled on a first come-first served basis.
Where I can enter?
All Assembly Hall entrances will be open, like a regular season game.
Where can I park?
Parking is free and all the normal lots for a regular Illinois basketball game will be open.
I cannot get there at 5:30 but would like to attend. Is there anyway I can find out if seats are still available that evening?
Our goal is to reach capacity in time for the volleyball match. We will have a message on the front page of fightingillini.com Friday featuring attendance updates. WDWS Radio, 1400 AM also will provide updates on the crowd turnout throughout their broadcast.
I cannot attend in person. Is there any other way I can follow the events?
Both the volleyball match and basketball madness will be broadcast on WDWS radio, 1400 AM. The basketball only portion of the evening will be streamed on fightingillini.com and is available to those who have purchased the all-access package. Click here to sign up for Illini All-Access. The volleyball match will be shown tape-delay on the Big Ten Network on Sunday at 5 pm CT.
When does the basketball portion of the evening start?
An exact time cannot be determined for the beginning of basketball, due to the fact that the volleyball match could be 3, 4 or 5 sets. Basketball madness will begin immediately following the end of volleyball, after a brief changeover to take down the net and remove taped lines.
Is this the first time volleyball has played at Assembly Hall?
Illinois has played once at the Assembly Hall, on Nov. 10, 1981, when No. 1-ranked Hawaii defeated the Illini in straight sets in front of a crowd of approximately 800. The atmosphere and crowd for Friday's visit to The Hall for the Illinois volleyball team will be quite different than the first experience 28 years ago.
