Fighting Illini Friday Zoom Call to Preview Football, Basketball Seasons

Former Illini J Leman and Deon Thomas will preview the upcoming University of Illinois football and basketball seasons in a Friday, Oct. 16 Zoom call with alumni. Register today to join the call!

Join Twin Cities Illini Club members and alumni Friday, Oct. 16, at 5 p.m. for a Fighting Illini Friday Happy Hour Zoom call featuring the latest updates on Illini sports. Illini All-Americans J Leman and Deon Thomas will host this Friday’s call and offer news and insights on the upcoming and hotly anticipated Illini football and basketball seasons.
 

Join the call this Friday! Attendees must register to attend.
 

Presented by the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and the University of Illinois Alumni Association, Fighting Illini Friday Happy Hour calls will be held the third Friday of each month from Oct. 16 through May 21 as an exclusive to alumni. The Zoom calls will feature professional commentators and inside Illini to discuss all things U of I athletics.
 

The Fighting Illini football team opens its season Oct. 23 with a 7 p.m. game against the #16 Wisconsin Badgers in Madison. The Illini with returning quarterback Brandon Peters and standout receiver Josh Imatorbhebhe recorded one of the conference’s biggest upsets last year in defeating the Badgers.
The men’s basketball team, named a national top ten team in select analyst rankings, opened its first official day of practice this past Wednesday.
 

J Leman, an All American linebacker and member of the 2008 Illini Rose Bowl team, is a commentator for the Big Ten Network. An all-time leading scorer for the Illinois men’s basketball team, Deon Thomas played overseas in Israel and Europe before signing on as an analyst for the Big Ten Network and the Fighting Illini Sports Network. He is currently an associate director of development with the University of Illinois.