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Bret Bielema pens note to Illini ‘FamILLy’ as Illinois kicks off fall camp

Paul Harvey

By Paul Harvey

Published:

Bret Bielema enters his second season as head coach at Illinois as he tries to rebuild the program. Among the things Bielema has tried to revamp is a rebranding of the program.

One of those pieces of the rebrand is the introduction of Bielema’s “FamILLy” slogan, a way of uniting the program from the coaches and players to the fans and alumni.

On Saturday, Bielema penned a note to the “Illini famILLy” as Illinois opens fall practices.

“When we say famILLy, it’s not just a saying,” Bielema penned to the fans via a statement. “You are part of this famILLy, and we want you to know that – as players and coaches – we recognize how much you love the Orange and Blue. Our fans and students are crucial to our success.

“Last year, two of our biggest wins – against Penn State and Minnesota on the road – we won in LOUD, big-game environments. We know that our Illini famILLy can create the same loud atmosphere at Memorial Stadium. The best stadium, with the best fans in the country. Let’s take Illinois back to a place where we want to be in Memorial Stadium.

“Can’t wait to see you on August 27. I-L-L.”

Bielema and the Illini open the season on Aug. 27 against Wyoming.

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.