Illinois Students Drove 250 Miles For Surprise College Basketball Takeover Just To Witness Blowout Loss

Illinois got its breaks blown off during Tuesday’s college basketball game against Wisconsin. To make matters worse, the Illini’s famous student section, the Orange Krush, made its annual surprise trip to watch their team lose by more than 20 points. Brutal.

Their (in)famous takeover was a great success. The result was not.

For those who are not familiar, the Orange Krush is one of the most controversial student sections in college basketball. “Controversial” may not be the exact right word but it works. The methods they use to obtain a large number of tickets to away games are sometimes considered to be unethical. Whatever.

The Orange Krush typically makes one road trip per season. They often go through the university itself to obtain a group ticket deal that puts their large contingency of traveling students together in the same section. It can create a home environment for the Illini while playing away from home. It’s a cool tradition!

However, the home team obviously does not want to accommodate such a takeover so the Orange Krush leadership committee has to get creative. As one example, back in 2023, Illinois students posed as a charity to get their tickets. Iowa sniffed out the shenanigans, revoked the tickets and distributed them to local members of the Boy’s and Girl’s Club instead. Thus, the controversy.

This year’s road trip took place on Tuesday for a “friend’s birthday.” The Orange Krush packed their bags, hopped in a charter bus and drove 252 miles north from Champaign to Madison.