Chief Illiniwek Retired
Updated: February 17, 2007
The University of Illinois announced Friday that Chief Illiniwek will no longer perform at athletic events on the U of I campus or any other University events. He will also be barred from any connection to Illini athletics or the Marching Illini. From this point, no students will be selected to portray Chief Illiniwek in the future. The name "Fighting Illini" and "Illini" will NOT be dropped. The University says the name "Illini" is short for the name of the state from which the University takes its name:Illinois. The U of I can immediately host multi-sport NCAA Tournament games/matches & Men's NIT (basketball) events on the Urbana-Champaign campus. No decision has been made on a halftime tradition replacement.
