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Case Closed: Illini Set Sights on Trophies, Starting With the Cannon

Illinois football coach Bret Bielema is itching to add hardware to an empty trophy case

Jason Langendorf

Nov 27, 2021; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini offensive lineman Doug Kramer (65) lifts the Land of Lincoln trophy after defeating the Northwestern Wildcats at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
Nov 27, 2021; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini offensive lineman Doug Kramer (65) lifts the Land of Lincoln trophy after defeating the Northwestern Wildcats at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images / Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
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When Bret Bielema was hired as the head football coach at Illinois in December 2020, he already knew what his top priorities would be.

One of them, strange as it may sound, was a display. In Bielema's Thursday press conference, the coach reminded the assorted media that when he took over the program almost four years ago, “one of the first things we did was build a trophy case."

Aside from the College Football Playoff National Championship trophy and the Stagg Championship trophy (which goes to the Big Ten Championship Game winner), there are three different trophies the Illini compete for every season. The oldest is the “Illibuck” trophy, which certainly lacked creativity when being named for Illini showdowns with the Ohio State Buckeyes. The “Land of Lincoln” trophy, which was recently renamed (formerly the “Tomahawk” trophy), goes to the Illinois-Northwestern winner. And then, of course, there is the “Cannon Trophy," which has received plenty of attention this week in the lead-up to Purdue's visit to Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

For all their successes through a 4-1 start, the Illini have yet to add one of those trophies to a still-empty display case. Bielema’s squad will get two opportunities to change that this year.

The Illibuck won’t be one of them. Illinois has yet to play the Buckeyes during Bielema’s tenure, but he’s undoubtedly itching for the opportunity to bring it back to store it in Champaign for the first time since 2007. 

The Land of Lincoln trophy is the only prize Bielema has yet added to Illinois' collection. In 2021, Bielema’s first season in Champaign, the Illini dominated Northwestern in a 47-14 victory to reclaim the hardware after the Wildcats had held it captive for six straight years. The Illini had it swiped away again when they fell 45-43 to Northwestern at home last year.

At this point, though, it's the Cannon Trophy that may be the most personal to Bielema. He has had a shot at it in each of his seasons at Illinois, coming up short each time. Two days before Saturday's kickoff against Purdue, Bielema said, “We can express our opinion and desire to have it, but to see it, touch it, smell it, feel it – it’s not there."

Against the Boilermakers – 1-4 on the season and three-touchdown underdogs headed into the Illini game – Bielema will get a golden opportunity to capture the Cannon, engage all five senses and fill Illinois' trophy case.

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Jason Langendorf
JASON LANGENDORF

Jason Langendorf is a longtime journalist who has covered football and basketball, among other sports, for ESPN, Sporting News, the Chicago Sun-Times and numerous other publications.

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