At the University, Illini pride runs deep. Game days turn the campus orange, and students pack the stands with relentless energy. The loyalty — whether it’s passed down through generations or only just begun — is unmistakably Illini.
But not everyone in the crowd is cheering for the University.
Some students wear their orange in public and their true team colors in private. Others don’t bother hiding it at all. Sometimes, when their loyalties lie with other Big Ten rivals, being a fan of another university can make school pride complicated.
For Brayden McMillan, junior in ACES, those moments of conflict have become typical. He grew up in Indianapolis before moving to Illinois in second grade.
McMillan’s dad went to Indiana University and raised him to love its basketball team, while his grandfather’s time at the University of Notre Dame made its football team a staple in his family growing up.
His love for those teams has served as a way to bond with his family. Even now, McMillan will text his family about these games while he’s in Champaign.
“Back when I lived at home instead of being at college, (my dad, brother and I) would always watch the games together,” McMillan said.
However, even after years of living in Illinois and attending the University, his loyalties have not wavered.
“I’ve spent 18 years of my life rooting for these teams, and I didn’t grow up in Illinois, really,” McMillan said. “So it wasn’t that big of a deal for me. Even when we moved here, I always rooted for the same teams, even when it was disliked by people who liked Illinois.”
For the most part, McMillan tends to keep his loyalties for these teams to himself, only sharing them with the people he’s close with. He said that if Indiana and Illinois were to face off in basketball, he’d attend the game but secretly root for Indiana.
While McMillan keeps his support for other schools mostly private, Rosa Maurello, senior in LAS, does the exact opposite. As a lifelong fan of Ohio State, she’s loud and unapologetic about it — even when surrounded by Illini orange.
“One hundred percent, I’m very public about it,” Maurello said. “I don’t really care.”
Maurello grew up in a family of Michigan fans but originally started rooting for Ohio State as a kid because she liked its colors. Over time, her casual interest turned into full-blown fandom, drawn in by the team’s success and tradition.
Maurello applied to Ohio State when she made the decision to transfer ahead of her junior year, but she decided to attend the University instead because it made more sense financially and academically. Maurello said she still watches most Ohio State football games and even follows its other sports and activities, like the school’s dance team.
When she attends the University’s athletic events, she goes for the fun energy that comes with being in the crowd full of dedicated Illini fans. Her friends on campus know exactly where her loyalty lies — and they like to remind her.
“They give me s—,” Maurello said. “I’m like, ‘You can give me s—, but we’re still better.’”
Like McMillan, the fandom also carries a personal connection to Maurello’s childhood but in a different way. Watching Ohio State games bring back fond memories of her family’s playful rivalry.
When she would watch games with her brother, they often rooted against one another — especially if Ohio State was going head-to-head with Michigan.
Despite her Buckeye pride, the Illini have grown on her over the years. As long as the teams aren’t facing each other, Maurello is happy to cheer for her school.
“I feel like after I graduate, I’ll still be Ohio (State) number one, but Illinois will definitely be number two,” Maurello said. “I still love the school; it’s just (that) I’m not their number-one sports fan.”
That love for the University is apparent through Maurello’s actions. She still supports her future alma mater whenever the opportunity arises, maintaining a sense of loyalty to the University even with her favorite team looming in the shadows.
For both McMillan and Maurello, rooting for other schools doesn’t mean that the Illini are irrelevant. Their primary fandom may lie elsewhere, but the memories they’ve made ensure that the University will always have a place in their hearts.
