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A Tuesday night fire at Memorial Stadium has caused a feeling of uncertainty heading into Illinois’ matchup with Big Ten foe Nebraska this weekend. The Fighting Illini are scheduled to host the Cornhuskers on Friday night.
The two conference foes were set to kick off another exciting weekend of college football, but with the early kick time, many are questioning whether or not the game will take place at the scheduled location.
It’s not clear what sparked the flames, but emergency units responded to reports of smoke bellowing out of the south end of the venue just days before the upcoming matchup.
Memorial Stadium, where the Fighting Illini play football and are schedule to play Nebraska on Friday, is at least partially on fire. Smoke can be seen pouring out from the the lower level on the south side of the stadium. We have a crew working to get more info. pic.twitter.com/FcCgRT9I6T
— Kevin Lighty – WCIA 3 Chief Meteorologist (@KevinLighty) October 4, 2023
Firefighters were able to douse the flames as alarms sounded, limiting the damage and controlling a potentially dangerous situation. The fire wasn’t able to spread too far, though there was some damage to maintenance equipment inside the stadium walls.
Illinois released a statement on the fire after the fact, with hopes that the team can still host Nebraska in its home venue.
“Early indications are positive that the stadium will be prepared to host the game, as scheduled and without interruption of seating or services.”
The fire apparently occurred away from spectator areas, which is a good sign moving forward. Still, it’s not the most ideal of situations as the team preps for the league contest.
Memorial Stadium has been the home of the Illini since 1923, and it currently holds a capacity of 60,670 fans. Nominated as a national historic landmark in Champaign, the site saw 27 straight sell-outs in the 1980s.
No injuries were reported in the incident, and the hope is that no structural damage has been done. Hopefully, the game takes place without issue.