MLB

Chicago Cubs def Milwaukee Brewers 10-3

Miami Marlins def St. Louis Cardinals 2-0

Chicago White Sox def Philadelphia Phillies 9-3

(Iowa–bp)  – The NASCAR Cup Series is in Iowa this weekend. Nascar Driver Kyle Larson says he is having a lot of fun with his car and team this year. Larson added that it is almost too much fun,to the point where he had a wreck…

Nascar Cup Series Driver Kyle Larson…

(Urbana–jc)  The University of Illinois football team is ready to get to work on the 20-25 football season. The Illini take on Western Illinois on Friday August 29th at Memorial Stadium. University of Illinois Football Coach Bret Bielema says building a program takes a lot of skilled people and had some nice words to say about A D Josh Whitman…

University of Illinois Football Coach Bret Bielema

TEMPE, Ariz. – Former Fighting Illini men's tennis star Kevin Anderson is set to be inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Men's Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026. Anderson is one of five members of the Class of 2026 and is the second Illini to earn that prestigious distinction, joining coach Craig Tiley, who was inducted in 2010. Anderson competed at Illinois from 2004-07, winning the 2006 NCAA doubles title (with Ryan Rowe)

MLB

The Chicago Cubs are off today. They begin a series with Baltimore at Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon. 

The St Louis Cardinals are off today. The Cardinals start a west coast series on Friday night in San Diego. 

The Chicago White Sox are also off today. The South siders go to The L A Angels on Friday night. 

MLB

Milwaukee Brewers def Chicago Cubs 9-3

Miami Marlins def St. Louis Cardinals 5-0

Philadelphia Phillies def Chicago White Sox 6-3

(Iowa-bp) They have repaved the Iowa Motor Speedway. That is the next track for the Nascar Cup Series on Sunday.  Nascar Driver Tyler Reddick says he expects a lot of moving around, a lot of similar things to happen with the repave…

Nascar Cup Series Driver Tyler Reddick. 

The race airs live on Sunday, on WPXN. 

(Urbana–jc) The University of Illinois football team starts training camp on Friday on campus. It’s high hopes for the U of I this year, after a 10 win season one year ago. University of Illinois Football Coach Bret Bielema says the spotlight is on the players and head coach, but the program has a plethora of people that make it one of the top programs in the nation…

University of Illinois Football Coach Bret Bielema

630am

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Two Illinois defensive standouts, outside linebacker Gabe Jacas and defensive back Xavier Scott, have been named to the preseason watch list for the 2025 Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Football Writers Association of America announced Tuesday. The Illini duo is among 60 players listed in consideration for the National Defensive Player of the Year honor. Illinois is one of 12 programs nationally with multiple players listed on the preseason watch list.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois' J.C. Davis has been named to the preseason watch list for the 2025 Outland Trophy, the Football Writers Association of America  announced Tuesday. The Fighting Illini's left tackle is one of 50 returning standout interior linemen, including one of 16 offensive tackles, recognized. 

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Four Fighting Illini men's golfers – Jackson Buchanan, Max Herendeen, Ryan Voois, and Ethan Wilson – were honored as NCAA Division I Cobalt Golf All-America Scholars for the 2024-25 season. The announcement was made Tuesday by the Golf Coaches Association of America . It marks the third All-America Scholar nod for Buchanan, a senior who completed his degree in operations management in May, and the second for Voois, a junior finance major. Herendeen and Wilson, both sophomore advertising majors, were each recognized for the first time. All four golfers earned Academic All-Big Ten honors this season.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Fighting Illini women's tennis head coach Evan Clark has announced the addition of rising sophomore transfer Cara Mester to the program. The Romania native played her freshman season at Oklahoma.

MLB

1-20pm Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee Brewers

6-45pm Miami Marlins at St Louis Cardinals

1-10pm Philadelphia Phillies at Chicago White Sox

MLB

Milwaukee Brewers def Chicago Cubs 8-4

St. Louis Cardinals def Miami Marlins 7-1

Chicago White Sox def Philadelphia Phillies 6-2

MLB

The Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball is mourning the loss of Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg. Sandberg passed away yesterday after a battle with cancer. He was 65. Sandberg was a 10 time All Star and winner of 9 gold gloves. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005. 

(Rantoul–jc)  The Royal Giants were officially crowned as regular season E. I. Baseball champions last night at the meeting of E. I. Commissioners and teams at the V F W in Rantoul. The Giants finished the year with a record of 12 and 3. The Paxton Swedes finished percentage points above the Buckley Dutchmasters in second place. The annual post season tournament starts this Sunday with games in St Joseph and Paxton. The top seeded Giants host the winner of Danville’s Dirtbags and the Arcola High Power. The Paxton Swedes are home against the Buckley Dutchmasters.

Regular season awards include…

Ralph Loschen Most Outstanding Player Award…Tom Wolken of Royal Giants

Dick Franzen Batting Champion …Adam Price of Royal Giants .619 batting average

Virgil Schiewe Most Valuable Pitcher… Luke Shoven of Buckley Dutchmasters

(Urbana–jc)  – .The Illinois football team begins training camp practices on Friday,  at Memorial Stadium. Illinois head coach Bret Bielema will address the media on Thursday to  preview training camp.  Illini football coaches, Barry Lunney Jr. and Aaron Henry will also speak to the media. WPXN will carry the Illini football games again this year. 

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer has been named to the preseason watch list for the 89th Maxwell Award, the Maxwell Football Club announced Monday. Altmyer is one of 47 quarterbacks, and one of 14 offensive standouts from the Big Ten on the 80-player list. Current Chicago Bears Quarterback Caleb Williams won the award three years ago.

MLB

6-40pm Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee Brewers

6-45pm Miami Marlins at St Louis Cardinals

6-40pm Philadelphia Phillies at Chicago White Sox

MLB

Chicago Cubs def Chicago White Sox 5-4

San Diego Padres def St. Louis Cardinals 9-2

E.I. Baseball

Sunday results

Royal Giants beat the Danville Dirtbags 8 to 1 and 11 to zero

The Paxton Swedes took a pair from the Arcola High Power 10 to nothing in game one and 20-2 in game two. The Buckley Dutchmasters had Sunday off.

The Royal Giants are champions of the regular season with a 12 and 3 record. The Paxton Swedes finished 2nd in the standings.

The Post season E. I. Baseball tournament starts this coming Sunday. 

NASCAR

It took two rain delays and two overtimes but Bubba Wallace won his third career NASCAR Cup race and first race since 2022. He was able to beat Kyle Larson off the restart in overtime, preventing him from becoming the Indianapolis 500’s fourth back-to-back winner. 

(Paxton–jc)  The Central Illinois Swim Conference held their conference meet on Saturday in Paxton. Milford won the girls title with 221 points. Rantoul was second with 149 and Paxton finished 3rd with 140 points. 

On the boys side. Milford won the meet with 252 points. Rantoul was second with 165 points . Gibson City boys placed third with 86 points. The Paxton Pirates boys team had 47 points, in 4th place.

(Las Vegas–jc)  It was media days in Las Vegas last week for all the Big 10 football programs. The University of Illinois is projected to finish 4th in the Big 10 this year. The Illini are coming off a 10 win season and pre season projections in the top 25. University of Illinois Football Coach Bret Bielema says as a head coach, media days are all about relationships…

University of Illinois Football Coach Bret Bielema

The Illini take on Western Illinois on Friday August 29th. All the Illini football games can be heard live on WPXN, again this year. 

MLB

6-40pm Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee Brewers

6-45pm Miami Marlins at St Louis Cardinals

6-40pm Chicago White Sox versus Philadelphia Phillies

MLB

St. Louis Cardinals def San Diego Padres 9-7

Cubs and Sox were off

(Indy–jc) It’s The Brickyard 400 on Sunday in Indianapolis. Nascar Cup Series Driver Joey Logano talks about what a win on Sunday means for himself and his team…

Nascar Cup Series Driver Joey Logano. 

(Urbana–jc)  August is right around the corner and the University of Illinois Fighting Illini football team is preparing for the regular season. University of Illinois Football Coach Bret Bielema says having the amount of returning players is a positive for the upcoming year, but the staff and administration have worked to help bring the program to a potential step up…

University of Illinois football Coach Bret Bielema

You can hear all the Illini football games on WPXN again this year. 

E. I. Baseball

(Buckley–jc)  –The Buckley Dutchmasters are hosting the Arcola High Power on Saturday at 1pm in a make-up double header. The two games are set for Schiewe Field in Buckley. The three team round robin with Beecher and Lombard on Sunday has been cancelled. The E I Baseball post season tournament starts on August 3rd. 

Sunday 1pm Doubleheaders

Danville Dirtbags at Royal Giants…Meijer Field St Joseph

Paxton Swedes at Arcola High Power…Moore Park Arcola

MLB

6-40pm Chicago Cubs at Chicago White Sox 

6-15pm St Louis Cardinals vs San Diego Padres

Nascar Saturday

3pm

Xfinity race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Nascar Sunday

Noon Brickyard 400 from Indianapolis Motor Speedway

MLB

Kansas City Royals def Chicago Cubs 8-4

Colorado Rockies def St. Louis Cardinals 6-0

Chicago White Sox def Tampa Bay Rays 11-9

(Indy–jc)  It’s the Brickyard 400 on Sunday for Nascar fans. Nascar Cup Series Driver Carson Hocevar says the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is his favorite track…

Nascar Cup Series Driver Carson Hocevar. 

EI

(Buckley–jc)  –The Buckley Dutchmasters are hosting the Arcola High Power on Saturday at 1pm in a make-up double header. The two games are set for Schiewe Field in Buckley. The three team round robin with Beecher and Lombard on Sunday has been cancelled. The E I Baseball post season tournament starts on August 3rd. 

MLB

Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox off today. The two teams play a three game series starting tomorrow night at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago

6-45pm St Louis Cardinals vs San Diego Padres

MLB

Chicago Cubs def Kansas City Royals 6-0

Colorado Rockies def St. Louis Cardinals 8-4

Tampa Bay Rays def Chicago White Sox 4-3

(Indianapolis–jc)  It’s the Brickyard race this weekend for Nascar fans. Nascar Cup Series Driver Denny Hamlin talks about his motivation heading to Indy on Sunday…

Nascar Driver Denny Hamlin

(Las Vegas–jc)  – University of Illinois Football Coach Bret Bielema was the first to speak at Big 10 Media Day in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Bielema says the University of Illinois has received a lot of headlines due to last year’s finish and the number of players coming back this year…

University of Illinois Head Football Coach Bret Bielema

You can hear all the Illini football games again this year on WPXN

LAS VEGAS — Illinois seniors Luke Altmyer and Gabe Jacas were named to the Big Ten's Preseason Honors list, which was announced Tuesday at Big Ten Media Days in Las Vegas. The prestigious 15-player list signifies the top players in the Big Ten, as projected by the media.  Altmyer is one of the top returning quarterbacks in the nation and one of two quarterbacks to earn Big Ten Preseason Honors, along with Penn State's Drew Allar. Altmyer threw for 2,717 yards and 22 touchdowns last season while leading Illinois to its first 10-win season since 2001. 

Jacas had 74 tackles, 13.0 tackles for loss, and 8.0 sacks last season to lead the Illinois defense. The projected All-American finished tied for the second-most sacks in Big Ten games (7.0) last season.

Altmeyer and Jacas are two of 18 returning starters from Illinois' Cheez-It Citrus Bowl victory over South Carolina. The Illini were picked to finish fourth in the Big Ten.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois women's basketball team has earned recognition for its work in the classroom last season, earning honorable mention status in the 2024-25 Women's Basketball Coaches Association Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll, which was announced on Tuesday. The Fighting Illini posted a 3.597 combined GPA during the 2024-25 school year, which ranked first among Big Ten programs for the second-straight season.

MLB

Kansas City Royals at Chicago Cubs 1:20pm

St. Louis Cardinals at Colorado Rockies 2:10pm

Chicago White Sox at Tampa Bay Rays 6:35pm

MLB

Kansas City Royals def Chicago Cubs 12-4

St. Louis Cardinals def Colorado Rockies 6-2

Chicago White Sox def Tampa Bay Rays 8-3

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illinois football program's representatives at Big Ten Media Days are ready to kick things off in Las Vegas. Luke Altmyer, J.C. Davis, Xavier Scott, and head coach Bret Bielema will have the spotlight throughout today, as Illinois is featured on Day 1 of Media Days with five other programs.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The entire Fighting Illini men's tennis 2024-25 squad and five student-athletes were recognized by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association for their work on the court in the classroom during the 2024-25 academic year, the organization announced on Monday. The Illini exceeded the benchmark of a GPA of 3.2, which was necessary to qualify for the ITA All-Academic Team award. Tyler Bowers, Mathis Debru, Kenta Miyoshi, Zach Viiala, and Jeremy Zhang were all tabbed ITA Scholar-Athletes for earning at least a 3.50 GPA across the 2024-25 academic year.

MLB

7-oh-5pm Kansas City Royals at Chicago Cubs

7-4opm St Louis Cardinals at Colorado Rockies

6-35pm Chicago White Sox at Tampa Bay Rays

MLB

Boston Red Sox def Chicago Cubs 6-1

Arizona Diamondbacks def St Louis Cardinals 5- 3

Chicago White Sox def Pittsburgh Pirates 7-2

EI Baseball

The Paxton Swedes received two wins on Sunday via forfeit from the Danville Dirtbags. Paxton is now 9 and 5 on the year. The Buckley Dutchmasters and Arcola High Power were rained out. The league leading Royal Giants had Sunday off. The final regular season games are set for this weekend.

(Dover Delaware–jc)  Denny Hamlin prevailed in Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover  Motor Speedway – a race that featured a 56-minute red flag for rain, late-race strategy decisions, and involved a pair of overtime restarts before the trophy was ultimately settled between a pair of Joe Gibbs Racing teammates.

But the veteran Hamlin got it all right when it mattered most, getting a jump on the field in both overtime restarts and in the end holding off newest teammate Chase Briscoe, who was even on fresher tires. It marks back-to-back wins at the Dover concrete mile for Hamlin and a NASCAR Cup Series-best fourth victory of 2025.

MLB

7-05pm Kansas City Royals at Chicago Cubs

7-40pm St Louis Cardinals at Colorado Rockies

6-35pm Chicago White Sox at Tampa Bay Rays

WNBA

The WNBA All star game is set for Indianapolis on Saturday, but will be without one of its popular stars. Indiana Fever guard and All Star captain Caitlin Clark will not play because of a nagging groin injury. She will be on the bench helping to coach the team. 

NASCAR Cup Series racing is in Dover this weekend. NASCAR Driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. says he’s excited to be back at Dover Speedway.

NASCAR Driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

MLB

1-20pm Boston Red Sox at Chicago Cubs

8-40pm St Louis Cardinals at Arizona Diamondbacks

5-40pm Chicago White Sox at Pittsburgh Pirates

EI Baseball–Sunday

1pm  Doubleheaders

Arcola High Power at the Buckley Dutchmasters

Danville Dirtbags at Paxton Swedes

Royal Giants have Sunday off

Saturday morning on WPXN its our Live Action Auction starting at 8am.

Saturday afternoon its Xfinity racing with the Bet Rivers 200 from Dover Motor Speedway at 3pm.

On Sunday its NASCAR Cup Series racing with the Autotrader Echopark 400 from Dover with at Noon start time.

Swim League

(Rantoul–jc)  Last night's  swim meet in Rantoul, featuring Rantoul and Paxton  was cancelled due to inclement weather. No word on a make up date. The annual conference swim meet is set for July 26th in Paxton.

(Indianapolis-dg)-The WNBA All Star game in Indianapolis is Saturday and will feature a much faster pace than fans are accustomed to. The league announced several changes to this year’s game. They will be using live substitutions and the reintroduction of the 4-point shot zones for each team. They are cutting out free throws except for the final 2 minutes of the game and any overtime periods. All other fouls that result in free throws will be converted into two points. Additionally, the shot clock will be reduced from 24 seconds to 20 seconds. 

MLB

The Cubs Cards and White Sox are still off today with the All Star Break. 

On Friday

Boston Red Sox at Chicago Cubs 1:20pm

St. Louis Cardinals at Arizona Diamondbacks 8:40pm

Chicago White Sox at Pittsburgh Pirates 5:40pm

MLB

All- Star Game

The National League and American League played to a 6-6 tie. The National League was declared the winner after a home run swing off. Philadelphia DH Kyle Schwarber connected on all 3 of his swings and was named MVP for his efforts. 

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Director of Illinois track, field and cross country Petros Kyprianou has announced the hiring of Olympian Garrett Scantling as an assistant coach on Tuesday . Scantling will primarily assist Kyprianou with coaching the jumps and combined events crews. Scantling finished fourth in the decathlon at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games 

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – University of Illinois senior linebacker Kenenna Odeluga and Fighting Illini football head coach Bret Bielema are among the nominees announced by the American Football Coaches Association  for recognition on the 2025 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. Nominees are determined based on their exemplary record of community service and impact on and off the field. Student-athletes must also show a strong academic dedication.  

MLB

HR Derby

Seattle Mariners slugger Cal Raleigh can add Home Run Derby Champion to his remarkable season. Raleigh is the first Catcher to ever win the event. He entered the All Star break with 38 home runs and is the starting catcher for the American League.

The All Star game is tonight in Atlanta. Starting pitcher for the National League is Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers.

(Undated–jc)  The Major League baseball draft included several University of Illinois players on Monday. Tyler Schmitt was drafted in the 20th round by the San Diego Padres. He was 5 and 2 with the Illini this spring. Also Julius Sanchez was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 18th round. Also going in the 20th round was recent Monticello High School graduate Ike Young to the Tampa Bay Rays.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (July 14, 2025) — Starting today, 211 student ambassadors from 32 states, Canada and Honduras, along with more than 60 adult advisors, will gather in Indianapolis for the ninth annual National Student Leadership Summit . The event marks the 16th national conference for high school students sponsored by the NFHS since the inaugural conference in 2001.Among the students at the national event is Chloe Tjarks, representing Gibson City Melvin Sibley School. 

The summit focuses on contemporary and relevant issues, allowing students to hone their leadership skills and understand the privilege and responsibility of their influence in schools, communities and state associations. 

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois wrestling head coach Mike Poeta announced the addition of Eric Schultz to his staff as an assistant coach. Schultz spent the last year  at Nebraska Wesleyan serving as an assistant coach working with their head wrestling coach Colton McCrystal to develop wrestlers' technical skills, create a culture of discipline and teamwork, and provide academic mentorship to ensure success in all aspects of their university experience.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Single-game tickets for the 2025 Fighting Illini football season will go on sale to I FUND members on Monday, July 21, and to the general public on Thursday, July 24 at Noon. Excitement is building for the Fighting Illini, which will host seven games at Memorial Stadium in 2025. The team returns 18 starters from last year's Citrus Bowl team that finished #16 in the final AP Top 25. 

Fans can purchase tickets at FightingIllini.com/tickets. Limited single-game tickets remain, as Illinois sold out of season tickets for the first time in at least 20 years. Single-game pricing is subject to increase with demand.

MLB

Chicago Cubs def NY Yankees 4-1

St. Louis Cardinals def Atlanta Braves 5-4

Cleveland Guardians def Chicago White Sox 6-5 10 innings

EI Baseball

(Paxton–jc-Esh)   Even though the Buckley Dutchmasters  collected 10 hits to the Paxton Swedes's six,  the Dutchmasters still fell 5-4 on Sunday in game one  at Paxton. Hunter Brewer, Andrew Schweigert, Rylan Pheifer, and Tuff Elson each collected two hits for Buckley Dutchmasters. Buckley’s Braden Roesch struck out 15 batters on the day. The hurler also surrendered three hits and two runs over six innings while walking five. Buckley Dutchmasters got on the board in the first inning after Alec Nicholos induced Brewer to hit into a fielder's choice, but one run scored. Paxton Swedes took the lead, 5-4, in the bottom of the eighth thanks to singles by Bryar Cosgrove, and Alex Barney. Caleb Kluettuer earned the win for Paxton Swedes. The reliever surrendered four hits and one run over four innings, striking out five and walking one. Altin Nettleton took the loss for Buckley Dutchmasters. 

In game 2 at Memorial Field in Paxton,  Luke Shoven pitched a complete game NO HIT  shoutout.. The Dutchmasters won game two in 8 innings 1 to nothing The pitching was strong on both sides. Buckley Dutchmasters pitchers struck out 11, while Paxton Swedes sat down eight. A single by Josh Krumwiede on an 0-2 count put Buckley Dutchmasters  on the board in the top of the eighth.

Eli Schmidt took the loss for Paxton Swedes. The starter went seven and one-third innings, surrendering one run on seven hits, striking out seven and walking two.

Krumwiede went 1-for-4 at the plate and led the team with one run batted in. Hunter Brewer led Buckley Dutchmasters  with two hits in three at bats.

NASCAR

Shane van Gisbergen extended his winning streak to two straight and 3 in the last 5 weeks with another dominating run on a road course. He led 97 of the 110 laps. Chase Briscoe was second, followed by Chase Elliott, Michael McDowell and Christopher Bell. 

MLB

Tonight is the Home Run Derby in Atlanta with the All Star game on Tuesday.

Chicago Cubs def Minnesota Twins 8-1

Cardinals def Washington Nationals 8-1

White Sox were postponed

CHICAGO, Ill. – The Big Ten Network today announced Lisa Leslie, a three-time All-American at USC, four-time Olympic Gold Medalist and three-time WNBA MVP, as the Grand Marshal of the 2025 BTN Big 10K. The 14th annual BTN Big 10K returns to Soldier Field on Saturday, July 12, where the in-person 10K and 5K races have now sold out. The top five male and female 10K finishers overall will receive a cash prize. In addition, there will be a Big Ten Bonus Prize for the top three male & female 10K finishers who are a current or former student at a Big Ten university.

(Nashville–jc)  –College basketball madness takes over the Music City when Tennessee battles Illinois on Saturday, Dec. 6 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Veteran event promoter bdG Sports announced the game today. Tip-off time will be announced at a later date and the game will be broadcast on ESPN networks. Tickets will go on-sale to the public on Friday, July 18 at 10 a.m. CT through Ticketmaster. Tennessee enters the 2025-26 season with high expectations following Elite Eight finishes in each of the past two NCAA Tournaments. 

(Sanoma–bp)-NASCAR Cup series racing is in Sonoma California this weekend.  For the Nascar Racing circuit, repaving projects have their effects. Nascar Driver Michael McDowell says the California track upgrades are positive for the drivers and teams…

Nascar Driver Michael McDowell

MLB

6-oh-5pm Chicago Cubs at New York Yankees

7-15 Atlanta Braves at St Louis Cardinals

2-10pm Cleveland Guardians at Chicago White Sox

EI Baseball on Sunday

Double Headers begin at 1pm

Buckley Dutchmasters at Paxton Swedes

Royal Giants at Arcola High Power

The Danville Dirtbags have Sunday off

Saturday afternoon on WPXN its Xfinity racing with the Pit Boss/ FoodMaxx 250 from Sonoma, California  at 3:30pm

Sunday on WPXN its NASCAR Cup series racing from Sonoma with the Toyota Save Mart 350 with a 2:30 start time.

MLB

Minnesota Twins def Chicago Cubs 4-2

Washington Nationals def St. Louis Cardinals 8-2

Chicago White Sox def Toronto Blue Jays 2-1

630am

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois wrestler Lucas Byrd was named to the 2024-25 Academic All-America Men's At-Large First Team by the College Sports Communicators on Wednesday. The recognition marks the first CSC Academic All-America selection for Byrd and the fourth for an Illini wrestler in the program's history Byrd had a stellar senior season in the Orange and Blue wrestling in 24 matches last season, carrying a 23-1 record en route to winning both NCAA and Big Ten titles

630am

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Fighting Illini golfer Ryan Voois was named to the 2024-25 Academic All-America Men's At-Large Second Team by the College Sports Communicators on Wednesday . The recognition marks the first CSC Academic All-America selection for Voois and the third for an Illini men's golfer in the program's history.

7am

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Fighting Illini women's basketball freshman Cearah Parchment has been named to Canada's roster for the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup. The games start on Saturday in Europe. Parchment is a 6-3 forward who hails from Whitby, Ontario, Canada. 

7am

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois Head Men's Basketball Coach Brad Underwood announced Wednesday the addition of Kevin Kruger to the Fighting Illini staff as Assistant to the Head Coach. Kruger returns to Champaign, where he lived for four years and played two seasons at Centennial High School while his father, 2022 College Basketball Hall of Famer Lon Kruger, served as head coach of the Fighting Illini program.

MLB

12-10pmChicago Cubs at Minnesota Twins

6-45pm Washington Nationals at St Louis Cardinals

6-40pm Cleveland Guardians at Chicago White Sox

MLB

Minnesota Twins def Chicago Cubs 8-1

St. Louis Cardinals def Washington Nationals 4-2

Toronto Blue Jays def Chicago White Sox 6-1 in 7 innings

630am

(Bloomington–jc)   The Illinois High School Association  will host its 2025 Officials Conference on Friday and Saturday, July 11-12, 2025, at Normal Community West High School in Normal. The annual conference provides professional development and networking opportunities for athletic contest officials from around the state who officiate 25 IHSA sports.

Each summer, the IHSA offers the opportunity for its 12,000-plus licensed athletic officials to attend the conference, providing training in all sports in a collegial atmosphere focused on empowering officials to grow in their craft.

NASCAR Cup racing heads to Sonoma California this weekend. Nascar Driver Michael McDowell says he felt like there was lots of anticipation before heading down to the track. 

Nascar Driver Michael McDowell

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Parkland College Women's Soccer will host a High School I-D Camp on Saturday, July 19 at the fields on campus. Training and match play will begin at 9 a.m. Space in the camp is limited to juniors and seniors only, the first 20 field players and up to four goalkeepers. Register online at signup-genius-dot-com-forward slash-go-parkland The camp costs $50. Registration forms are available on the college's website and facebook pages. 

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – With excitement building for the 2025-26 Illinois men's basketball season, remaining season tickets at State Farm Center go on sale today — and inventory is limited. Season tickets will be available first to I FUND members, the men's basketball waitlist, and finally to the general public in a phased schedule throughout the week. Due to high demand and limited availability, fans are strongly encouraged to plan accordingly and secure seats as early as possible.

SEASON TICKET ON-SALE SCHEDULE: 

Wednesday, July 9

• 9 a.m. CT – Loyalty Circle Silver, Loyalty Circle Gold & Hall of Fame

• 12 p.m. CT – Olympian, Block I & Loyalty Circle Bronze

• 3 p.m. CT – Champion & Oskee

Thursday, July 10

• 9 a.m. CT – New Illini, Captains & All-American

• 12 p.m. CT – Men's Basketball Waitlist

Friday, July 11

• 9 a.m. CT – General Public

MLB

Toronto Blue Jays def Chicago White Sox 8-4

Cubs and Cards were off

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois head coach Bret Bielema was named to the Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List, the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Incorporated announced Monday. Bielema is one of five Big Ten coaches on the list, which features 26 of the nation's top college football coaches.

Last season, Bielema led Illinois to 10 wins, tying the Fighting Illini program record. Illinois was ranked by the CFP selection committee for a program-record four straight weeks, appeared in 12 AP Top 25 polls, and tied the program record for ranked wins with four. The Fighting Illini capped one of the best seasons in program history by beating #14 South Carolina in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, 21-17, 

The 2025 Fighting Illini return 18 starters from its Cheez-It Citrus Bowl victory, the most starters returning among any bowl team in the nation.

(Ohio–jc)  The Indy Racing league was in Ohio on Sunday, Scott Dixon was the winner. Dixon talks about the strength of his owner and team going forward this year……

Indy Car Driver Scott Dixon

(Urbana–jc)  It’s summer time but college basketball athletes are busy training and preparing for the upcoming season. University of Illinois Men’s Basketball Coach Brad Underwood says with the Illini it is nice to have a group of returning players…

University of Illinois Men’s Basketball Coach Brad Underwood

MLB

640pm Chicago Cubs at Minnesota Twins

645pm Washington Nationals at St Louis Cardinals

640pm Toronto Blue Jays at Chicago White Sox

MLB

Chicago Cubs def St. Louis Cardinals 11-0

Colorado Rockies def Chicago White Sox 6-4

E I Baseball from Sunday

(Buckley–jc)  –  In game one at Buckley on Sunday…the Royal Giants scored six runs in the first inning, which helped them defeat Buckley Dutchmasters  11-1 on Sunday at Scheiwe Field. Royal Giants got on the board in the top of the first inning after Adam Price singled, Nolan Roseman singled to center field, and Jake Miller doubled down the right field line, each scoring two runs. Royal Giants added one run in the third. Chad Vermillion grounded out, making the score 7-0.

Kendrick Johnson earned the win for Royal Giants. The hurler allowed five hits and one run over six innings, striking out four and walking four. Braden Roesch took the loss for Buckley Dutchmasters. 

In game 2, Luke Shoven struck out 10 batters, but Buckley Dutchmasters 2025 fell to Royal Giants 4-2 at Scheiwe Field on Sunday. Shoven gave up four hits and three runs over six innings while walking five. Royal Giants were the first to get on the board in the third when Blake Hoveln homered to left field, scoring two runs.

Michael O’Brien stepped on the mound first for the Royal Giants. The starting pitcher gave up three hits and zero runs over six innings, striking out eight and walking one. Charles Cambridge, Josh Krumwiede, Hunter Brewer, Tuff Elson, and Gavin Houchins each collected one hit for Buckley Dutchmasters 2025. 

In other E I Baseball action, the Arcola High Power took a pair of games against the Danville Dirtbags via the forfeit.

(Chicago–jc) The road course race in Chicago is now complete for the third year. The Motor Racing Network has the report…

(Ohio–jc)  The Indy Car race, the Honda 200 at Mid-Ohio, ran on Sunday. Indy Car Spokesperson Mark Jaynes has the report…

Indy Car Spokesperson Mark Jaynes

MLB

6-40pm Toronto Blue Jays at Chicago White Sox

The St Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs have the day off today

MLB

Chicago Cubs def Cleveland Guardians 1-0 10 innings

LA Dodgers def Chicago White Sox 6-2

Cards were off

(Chicago–bp)  NASCAR Cup Series racers hit the streets of Chicago on Sunday. Nascar Cup Series Driver Ty Gibbs says there are a lot of passing zones, Dive Bomb opportunities, and Braking zones in the Grant Park 165 at the Chicago Street Course. 

Nascar Cup Series Driver Ty Gibbs

 AJ Allmendinger says he hopes for good weather on Sunday in Chicago and says he also needs to focus on his own performance …

Nascar Cup Series Driver A J Allmendinger

MLB today

St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs 1:20pm

Chicago White Sox at Colorado Rockies 7:10pm

E. I. Baseball

Double headers begin at 1pm

Royal Giants at Buckley Dutchmaster at Schiewe Field

Arcola High Power at Danville Dirtbags at Carl Gruber Sports Complex

Paxton Swedes have a bye

Saturday 6am to 7am The Illini Guys Sponsored in part by Popejoy Roofing

Saturday on WPXN it's our Live action Auction starting at 8am.

Saturday afternoon it's Xfinity racing with The Loop 110 downtown Chicago at 3pm.

Sunday on WPXN its NASCAR Cup Series racing from the streets of Chicago with the Grant Park 165. The Broadcast starts at Noon.

MLB

Chicago Cubs def Cleveland Guardians 5-4

Pittsburgh Pirates def St. Louis Cardinals 5-0

LA Dodgers def Chicago White Sox 5-4

MLB has announced the starters for the The All-Star game. The Chicago Cubs will be represented by outfielders Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker. 

Reserves will be announced on Sunday.

Swim Team 

The Paxton Pirates Girls Swim team won over Rantoul 129 to 121. The Paxton Boys Swim team lost to Rantoul 161 to 66. Rantoul won the overall match 282 to 195. 

MLB

7-05pm Cleveland Guardians at Chicago Cubs 

9-10 pm Chicago White Sox at LA Dodgers 

St Louis Cardinals Off

MLB

Chicago Cubs def Cleveland Guardians 5-2

Pittsburgh Pirates def St. Louis Cardinals 1-0

LA Dodgers def Chicago White Sox 6-1

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – New season tickets for the 2025-26 Fighting Illini women's basketball campaign are on sale now. Illinois enters Year 4 under head coach Shauna Green while compiling a 38-11 record at home over the last three seasons, including four upsets of AP Top-20 ranked teams. Customers renewing for the 2025-26 season are encouraged to log in to their account online prior to the July 18 deadline. The seat upgrade process will begin in early August, Coach Green has led the Illini to a 63-35 record, including a 30-24 mark in Big Ten play.

MLB

7-oh-5pm Cleveland Guardians at Chicago Cubs

11-35an St Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates

9-10 pm Chicago White Sox at L A Dodgers

MLB

Pittsburgh Pirates def St. Louis Cardinals 7-0

Cubs and Sox were off

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Senior Fighting Illini football student-athletes Luke Altmyer, J.C. Davis, and Xavier Scott will head to Las Vegas for Big Ten Media Days. The event runs July 22-24, with Illinois' players and head coach Bret Bielema kicking off Media Days on July 22).

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Five Illinois women's golfers have been named Women's Golf Coaches Association  All-American Scholars, as announced by the organization on Monday. Illini alumni Lexanne Halama along with juniors Yurang Li, Brielle Mapanao, Anna Ritter and Victoria Zheng all earned All-American Scholar accolades for the 2024-25 season. The Fighting Illini have had at least five student-athletes named All-American Scholars in five-consecutive academic years.

MLB

7-oh5pm Cleveland Guardians at Chicago Cubs

5-40pm St Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates

9-10pm Chicago White Sox at L A Dodgers