When I think of College Football, I want to be in an electric environment. When it comes to Illini student sections, no matter the sport, the Orange and Blue Faithful line up in droves to support their teams and give the ultimate home-field advantage. 

The football student section at the University of Illinois, “Block I,” is an experience I will always cherish, and one you will, too, as a new member of the Fighting Illini family.

Before diving into the exciting atmosphere of Gameday, lets start with a little history of the section. Before the historic 92-year-old Memorial Stadium was even built in 1923, students started the “Block I” as a pep club to allow students to become more involved at U of I football games in 1910. 

In 1924, Block I was moved to the east side of the stadium along the 40 yard line, where a portion still stands today. However, as of 2007, the all-student section of Block I was created in the North End-Zone of the stadium, creating an exciting environment with almost 2,000 students cheering on their Illini, accompanied by the famous “Marching Illini” marching band just a few rows in front of them.

There is one tradition, however, that U of I holds strong in Block I, and as you walk past the columns and into historic Memorial Stadium, there will be one thing waiting for you at halftime; Card Stunts. Starting in 1926, this tradition has stood the test of time and is a staple at every U of I home football game. Just before the Marching Illini’s famous “Three-One” Medley, all students in Block I are given a set of Orange, Blue and White life-size cards and a slip of paper, dictating the order. Leaders of Block I, called “Block Heads” along with Illini Pride, the overarching student group of all Illini student sections, will have created a sequence for the cards, depending on your seat to create incredible designs.

These range from the Alma Mater, to a literal Block I, and even can spell out the famous Illini chant “Oskee- Wow- Wow.” The stunts go full throttle on Dad’s Day and Homecoming. You can keep this one from your parents, but a fan favorite is when the cards change to create two full side-by-side beer mugs. Two Block Heads hold a rope across the section at the top, and as they race down, once the rope passes you, you must change your card as they race to see which mug will be “finished” first.

In addition to the card stunts, if you are going to be in the student section, you better be ready to scream, chant and most importantly, dance. There are countless dance and cheer routines from jingling your keys and doing the Block I dance at kick-off, “Oskee-Wow-Wow “cheers after touchdowns, longhorns and the Imperial March/Darth Vader at punts, and to keep the rest of the stadium entertained during commercial breaks with the ever-popular William Tell dance and much more. You can learn these dances at the annual pre-season pep rally hosted by Illini Pride your first week of school, or simply catch on quick at your first Illini football game.

While I could go on for hours on the traditions that surround what many Illini consider the best College Football atmosphere in the country, my advice would be to join and see it in action this upcoming football season. When buying student-season tickets, make sure to choose the Block I/ Illini Pride option, to be a part of a very special and memorable U of I tradition.

Joey is a senior in Media. 

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@joeygelman