Bret Bielema walked into Big Ten Media Days with the kind of perspective only time can give you. Now entering Year 6 at Illinois, he leaned back into an old memory from 1991, when he was there as a player representative for Iowa under Hayden Fry.
That sense of continuity matters to Bielema, and he made that clear while talking about the stability he’s found in Champaign. He pointed to the contract extension from athletic director Josh Whitman as a major reason the program can keep moving in the same direction without looking over its shoulder.
The results have given him plenty to sell. Over the last two seasons, Illinois has climbed into a spot few would have expected, ranking fourth in the Big Ten in win percentage, Power Four victories, home wins and ranked triumphs. Only Indiana, Oregon and Ohio State sit ahead of the Illini in those categories.
Illinois has also been getting it done in tight games. Bielema noted the team’s 8-1 mark in one-score conference and bowl games over that span, along with the highest semester team GPA in school history.
He didn’t shy away from the reality of building a roster in today’s game, either. With the transfer portal and name, image and likeness revenue sharing reshaping college football, Bielema called it a different environment altogether.
“The last three years... the rosters have changed because of those two components. The transfer rule and revenue share.
It's a different world. Anything beyond that is nonsense.”
On the field, Illinois is also adjusting with purpose. Bielema discussed the team’s use of a 3-3-5 defensive scheme built on Rocky Long’s philosophy, a setup meant to make life tougher for opposing offenses when conference games roll around.
And the schedule ahead won’t offer much breathing room. Illinois’ 2026 slate includes Duke, Oregon, Nebraska and UCLA, plus a season-opening conference matchup at Ohio State. Bielema was in Chicago with player representatives Katin Houser, Jaheim Clarke and Matt Bailey as he laid out what comes next.
In Other News...
Illinois May Have Found A New Way To Use Kaden Feagin
Bret Bielema used Big Ten Media Days to put a little more shape around one of Illinois more intriguing offseason experiments, as Kaden Feagin shifts from running back to tight end. Feagin has been one of the more productive players on the roster over the past three seasons, but the move gives the Illini a different kind of weapon to think about, one that could change how defenses account for him.
Feagin has already signaled hes embracing the change, even trading the No. 3 he wore as a back for No. 83. Bielemas comments suggested this wasnt a casual position tweak, either, and the early indication is that Illinois sees real potential in giving Feagin a new role that could open up even more for an offense that has valued his production. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois-Missouri Rivalry Is Back But One Big Piece Is Still Missing
The old border rivalry is coming back onto the Illinois football calendar, but one important detail still needs to be sorted out. Athletics director Josh Whitman confirmed the 2027 non-conference meeting with Missouri is set in principle, yet the site for that first game has not been determined.
Both schools still plan to reopen the series with a neutral-site matchup in 2027 before shifting to home games, with Illinois set to host in 2028 and Missouri in 2029. The matchup was renewed in 2017, but conference realignment and other administrative changes pushed the timeline around, leaving the return of the rivalry intact even if the opening chapter is not fully written yet. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Enters Camp With One Big Question Over Its New-Look Team
Illinois football is back at Gies Memorial Stadium for 2026 training camp, and the timing could hardly be more important after Big Ten Media Days. This is not the same roster that finished last season, and not the same staff structure, either. The Illini are sorting through a new quarterback, a reworked offensive line and a defense preparing to operate in Bobby Haucks 3-3-5 system, all while trying to turn a roster full of unfamiliar pieces into something cohesive before the real games arrive.
Bret Bielema has framed the early part of camp as a matter of handling the daily grind, leaning into the challenge of learning a new team as much as building one. For Illinois, the big question is not just who fills the obvious vacancies, but how quickly so many moving parts can settle into rhythm. In a league where September can expose hesitation fast, the Illini have to use these practices to find more than answers. They have to find an identity. [Read more 🡒]