Illini Night Contest 2025

Year 11! Well, it would be year 12, but there was no Illini Night in 2020 during the pandemic. But for 11 of the last 12 years, I've partnered with the Cardinals to do a giveaway for their Illini Night at Busch Stadium. I hold a contest and the contest winner gets four field box seats (and four of the giveaway hats) to the game.

And this year, it's Cards-Cubs. So that covers, like, 80% of my readership and only the White Sox fans are left out (sorry about that, White Sox fans - I did do the same giveaway for Illini Night at a Sox game years ago but they never contacted me again). Win this contest and whether you're a Cards fan or a Cubs fan, you get four field box tickets to the game.

The giveaway hats? Well, if a Cubs fan wins they can just give them away to some kids at the game or something. If you're a Cards fan and you win? Even better because then you get this orange St. Louis Cardinals hat:

Four of the hats, actually. Go Illini.

Here's how it works. Send me an email – robert@illiniboard.com – and tell me who you want to take to the game with you and why. I'll read all of the responses and pick a winner on Friday. I'll then put the winner in touch with the Cardinals and they'll get the four tickets sent directly to them. (Past winners of the contest are not eligible.)

The details:

When: Wednesday, June 25th
What: Cubs-Cardinals at Busch Stadium
What time: 6:45 pm first pitch
Pregame: There's usually an autograph tables with some Illini athletes and coaches (in the past it's been whatever coach is throwing out the first pitch plus a few STL Illini athletes).
Ticket location: Usually in the teal or yellow field box sections on the lower level.

You have the next 48 hours to email me and let me know that you want the tickets. Winner will be announced Friday afternoon. And if you're interested in attending this game to get that hat (or just to watch the first and second-place teams in the NL Central), use this link to purchase your tickets: Illini Night 2025. You have to follow that link because this is not a giveaway for the entire stadium - just for those who purchase Illini Night tickets. If you just buy regular tickets for that game, you won't get the giveaway hat.

Good luck! Go team from where I grew up - beat the team from the city where everyone I knew in college was from.