In the spirit of March Madness, several arborists from the forestry division of Champaignʼs Public Works Department came together to carve a wooden sign in support of the Illini men’s and women’s basketball teams.
The sign spells out I-L-L-I-N-I and can be found at the northeast corner of Walnut and Chester streets in downtown Champaign.
In an email to The DI, the Public Works Department stated the inspiration for the project was “both the Illini Men’s and Womenʼs Basketball teams’ great seasons, road to the Big Ten Tournament and NCAA tournaments.”
This season, the Illini men’s team has a 21-12 overall record, and the women’s team stands at 21-9 overall. The Illinois men’s team is the No. 6 seed in the Midwest region, receiving its fifth consecutive bid to the NCAA tournament. The women’s team is the No. 8 seed, having also received a bid to this seasonʼs NCAA draw.
Labelled “Instagram-worthy” by the City of Champaign, the sign is the third iteration of a design in this particular planter bed, which previously featured Halloween- and Christmas-themed decorations.
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
The sign also includes a basketball painted on wood, featuring the words “Orange Krush” in reference to the vibrant student section at State Farm Center — home of University basketball.
The City of Champaign is encouraging C-U residents to go take pictures with the sign while enjoying downtown Champaign.
