College Sports
Dainja, Mayer power Illinois past Michigan State, 75-66
Illinois went on a 9-2 run to tie the game at 54-54, then took the lead on two free throws by Dainja, going in front for the first time since taking a 27-26 first-half lead.

Bears hire Big Ten Commissioner Warren as team president
Warren worked in the NFL for more than two decades, doing stints with the Rams and Lions before settling in with Minnesota in 2005. He was the Vikings’ chief operating officer from 2015 to 2019 and played a big role in their construction of U.S. Bank Stadium.

Concordia University Chicago players sent to hospital after grueling workout
The Division III Cougars, who are 8-2, postponed games that were scheduled for Saturday and last Tuesday.

Illinois RB Chase Brown to skip bowl game, enter NFL draft
Brown had 1,643 yards rushing this season, tops among the Power Five conferences. He finishes his collegiate career as the second leading rusher in UIllinois history. His single season yardage ranks third all-time at the school.

Illinois rewards Bielema with new contract through 2028
Illinois signed coach Bret Bielema to a new six-year contract through 2028 on Tuesday, a big reward for transforming a struggling program into a winner in his second season.

North Central holds off Mount Union 28-21 for D-III title
Ethan Greenfield, Luke Lehnen and DeAngelo Hardy delivered the big plays and North Central (Naperville, IL) beat Mount Union 28-21 on Friday night at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium to win the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl and claim the NCAA Division III championship.

UChicago's Julianne Sitch becomes 1st woman to coach men’s soccer to NCAA title
UChicago defeated Williams College 2-0 on Saturday for the Maroons' first NCAA men’s soccer title in program history. The title capped an undefeated season (22-0-1) and set a school record for wins in Sitch's first year as head coach.

No. 17 Illinois beats Cornhuskers 26-9 for 6th straight win
The Illini's 26-9 win over Nebraska on Saturday was nothing flashy, just workmanlike. Chase Brown and the top defense in the country did what they've been doing all year, and now No. 17 Illinois is on a six-game win streak for the first time since 2011.

Illinois' Chase Brown is your mid-season All-American
Chase Brown, averaging 151.3 yards per game, is on a school-record streak of eight straight 100-yard rushing performances and became the season's first 1,000-yard rusher and only the third player in program history to reach the milestone in back-to-back years.

Brown's 180 yards, defense carry No. 24 Illini past Gophers
No. 24 Illinois won its fifth straight game with a 26-14 victory over Minnesota on Saturday and became bowl eligible for the first time since 2019 and will end the day tied for first in the Big Ten West.
