Teams / Big Ten / Illinois
Index · this season
68
at its 5-year level▼ Down 4 this season
Career68since 1936
Peak901946
Last 571seasons
#56 nationally · 3-3 (1-2 conf)
Résumé #69 · better than its record
Schedule so far #38
Margin ±5 pts (tightens with games)
Illinois Fighting Illini
Big Ten · Champaign, IL · Memorial Stadium (Champaign, IL) · Head coach Bret Bielema
Rival
Northwestern · also Purdue
Heated rivalry
59-55-5 all time (119 meetings since 1892)
Illinois leads
Last: won 20-13 (2025) · Illinois has won 2 straight
Holds it
program traits are earned from history
0national titles
0Heisman
7AP top-10
15All-Americans
101NFL picks
44.1%win pct
History since 1936 · football since 1892. Every season →
Chemistry
59
66Foundation
50Gel
gel counts 45% so far
at its usual level
early · #63 of 138
HC year6
Ret. starters27%
QB yrs w/ OC1
| Season | Record | Conference | AP final | Season rank | Rating | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026in progress | 3-3 | Big Ten | — | #56 | 68 | Bret Bielema |
| 2025 | 9-4 | Big Ten | — | #21 | 78 | Bret Bielema |
| 2024 | 10-3 | Big Ten | #16 | #34 | 75 | Bret Bielema |
| 2023 | 5-7 | Big Ten | — | #74 | 62 | Bret Bielema |
| 2022 | 8-5 | Big Ten | — | #18 | 79 | Bret Bielema |
| 2021 | 5-7 | Big Ten | — | #76 | 63 | Bret Bielema |
| 2020 | 2-6 | Big Ten | — | #58 | 56 | Lovie Smith; Rod Smith |
| 2019 | 6-7 | Big Ten | — | #63 | 64 | Lovie Smith |
| 2018 | 4-8 | Big Ten | — | #101 | 54 | Lovie Smith |
| 2017 | 2-10 | Big Ten | — | #105 | 54 | Lovie Smith |
| 2016 | 3-9 | Big Ten | — | #99 | 54 | Lovie Smith |
| 2015 | 5-7 | Big Ten | — | #78 | 63 | Bill Cubit |
| 2014 | 6-7 | Big Ten | — | #77 | 60 | Tim Beckman |
| 2013 | 4-8 | Big Ten | — | #75 | 61 | Tim Beckman |
| 2012 | 2-10 | Big Ten | — | #111 | 50 | Tim Beckman |
| 2011 | 7-6 | Big Ten | — | #58 | 65 | Ron Zook |
| 2010 | 7-6 | Big Ten | — | #34 | 74 | Ron Zook |
| 2009 | 3-9 | Big Ten | — | #84 | 58 | Ron Zook |
| 2008 | 5-7 | Big Ten | — | #45 | 68 | Ron Zook |
| 2007 | 9-4 | Big Ten | #20 | #26 | 75 | Ron Zook |
| 2006 | 2-10 | Big Ten | — | #83 | 57 | Ron Zook |
| 2005 | 2-9 | Big Ten | — | #96 | 55 | Ron Zook |
| 2004 | 3-8 | Big Ten | — | #84 | 58 | Ron Turner |
| 2003 | 1-11 | Big Ten | — | #97 | 53 | Ron Turner |
| 2002 | 5-7 | Big Ten | — | #52 | 68 | Ron Turner |
| 2001 | 10-2 | Big Ten | #7 | #22 | 77 | Ron Turner |
| 2000 | 5-6 | Big Ten | — | #50 | 68 | Ron Turner |
| 1999 | 8-4 | Big Ten | #24 | #16 | 79 | Ron Turner |
| 1998 | 3-8 | Big Ten | — | #92 | 53 | Ron Turner |
| 1997 | 0-11 | Big Ten | — | #96 | 51 | Ron Turner |
| 1996 | 2-9 | Big Ten | — | #73 | 59 | Lou Tepper |
| 1995 | 5-5-1 | Big Ten | — | #27 | 73 | Lou Tepper |
| 1994 | 7-5 | Big Ten | — | #7 | 86 | Lou Tepper |
| 1993 | 5-6 | Big Ten | — | #37 | 70 | Lou Tepper |
| 1992 | 6-5-1 | Big Ten | — | #51 | 65 | Lou Tepper |
| 1991 | 6-6 | Big Ten | — | #26 | 73 | John Mackovic |
| 1990 | 8-4 | Big Ten | #25 | #28 | 73 | John Mackovic |
| 1989 | 10-2 | Big Ten | #10 | #17 | 79 | John Mackovic |
| 1988 | 6-5-1 | Big Ten | — | #52 | 65 | John Mackovic |
| 1987 | 3-7-1 | Big Ten | — | #63 | 61 | Mike White |
| 1986 | 4-7 | Big Ten | — | #60 | 61 | Mike White |
| 1985 | 6-5-1 | Big Ten | — | #35 | 70 | Mike White |
| 1984 | 7-4 | Big Ten | — | #20 | 77 | Mike White |
| 1983 | 10-2 | Big Ten | #10 | #19 | 77 | Mike White |
| 1982 | 7-5 | Big Ten | — | #23 | 77 | Mike White |
| 1981 | 7-4 | Big Ten | — | #46 | 69 | Mike White |
| 1980 | 3-7-1 | Big Ten | — | #71 | 62 | Mike White |
| 1979 | 2-8-1 | Big Ten | — | #84 | 58 | Gary Moeller |
| 1978 | 1-8-2 | Big Ten | — | #99 | 53 | Gary Moeller |
| 1977 | 3-8 | Big Ten | — | #89 | 57 | Gary Moeller |
| 1976 | 5-6 | Big Ten | — | #32 | 72 | Bob Blackman |
| 1975 | 5-6 | Big Ten | — | #51 | 67 | Bob Blackman |
| 1974 | 6-4-1 | Big Ten | — | #44 | 69 | Bob Blackman |
| 1973 | 5-6 | Big Ten | — | #34 | 70 | Bob Blackman |
| 1972 | 3-8 | Big Ten | — | #53 | 65 | Bob Blackman |
| 1971 | 5-6 | Big Ten | — | #46 | 65 | Bob Blackman |
| 1970 | 3-7 | Big Ten | — | #58 | 62 | James Valek |
| 1969 | 0-10 | Big Ten | — | #98 | 50 | James Valek |
| 1968 | 1-9 | Big Ten | — | #77 | 57 | James Valek |
| 1967 | 4-6 | Big Ten | — | #67 | 60 | James Valek |
| 1966 | 4-6 | Big Ten | — | #45 | 66 | Pete Elliott |
| 1965 | 6-4 | Big Ten | — | #10 | 83 | Pete Elliott |
| 1964 | 6-3 | Big Ten | — | #11 | 80 | Pete Elliott |
| 1963 | 8-1-1 | Big Ten | #3 | #7 | 81 | Pete Elliott |
| 1962 | 2-7 | Big Ten | — | #49 | 67 | Pete Elliott |
| 1961 | 0-9 | Big Ten | — | #84 | 52 | Pete Elliott |
| 1960 | 5-4 | Big Ten | — | #26 | 76 | Pete Elliott |
| 1959 | 5-3-1 | Big Ten | #13 | #20 | 74 | Ray Eliot |
| 1958 | 4-5 | Big Ten | — | #21 | 73 | Ray Eliot |
| 1957 | 4-5 | Big Ten | — | #19 | 76 | Ray Eliot |
| 1956 | 2-5-2 | Big Ten | — | #27 | 72 | Ray Eliot |
| 1955 | 5-3-1 | Big Ten | — | #33 | 71 | Ray Eliot |
| 1954 | 1-8 | Big Ten | — | #47 | 66 | Ray Eliot |
| 1953 | 7-1-1 | Big Ten | #7 | #6 | 84 | Ray Eliot |
| 1952 | 4-5 | Western | — | #26 | 72 | Ray Eliot |
| 1951 ★ | 9-0-1 | Western | #4 | #4 | 85 | Ray Eliot |
| 1950 | 7-2 | Western | #13 | #7 | 81 | Ray Eliot |
| 1949 | 3-4-2 | Western | — | #23 | 74 | Ray Eliot |
| 1948 | 3-6 | Western | — | #39 | 70 | Ray Eliot |
| 1947 | 5-3-1 | Western | — | #11 | 79 | Ray Eliot |
| 1946 | 8-2 | Western | #5 | #4 | 90 | Ray Eliot |
| 1945 | 2-6-1 | Western | — | #19 | 73 | Ray Eliot |
| 1944 | 5-4-1 | Western | #15 | #9 | 80 | Ray Eliot |
| 1943 | 3-7 | Western | — | #22 | 67 | Ray Eliot |
| 1942 | 6-4 | Western | — | #23 | 72 | Ray Eliot |
| 1941 | 2-6 | Western | — | #62 | 59 | Robert Zuppke |
| 1940 | 1-7 | Western | — | #62 | 61 | Robert Zuppke |
| 1939 | 3-4-1 | Western | — | #60 | 62 | Robert Zuppke |
| 1938 | 3-5 | Western | — | #49 | 66 | Robert Zuppke |
| 1937 | 3-3-2 | Western | — | #42 | 68 | Robert Zuppke |
| 1936 | 4-3-1 | Western | — | #62 | 62 | Robert Zuppke |
| 1935 | 3-5 | Western | — | #32 | 72 early | Robert Zuppke |
| 1934 | 7-1 | Western | — | #18 | 75 early | Robert Zuppke |
| 1933 | 5-3 | Western | — | #17 | 77 early | Robert Zuppke |
| 1932 | 5-4 | Western | — | #48 | 64 early | Robert Zuppke |
| 1931 | 2-6 | Western | — | #68 | 54 early | Robert Zuppke |
| 1930 | 3-5 | Western | — | #35 | 66 early | Robert Zuppke |
| 1929 | 6-1-1 | Western | — | #10 | 78 early | Robert Zuppke |
| 1928 | 7-1 | Western | — | #16 | 75 early | Robert Zuppke |
| 1927 ★ | 7-0-1 | Western | — | #20 | 75 early | Robert Zuppke |
| 1926 | 6-2 | Western | — | #25 | 72 early | Robert Zuppke |
| 1925 | 5-3 | Western | — | #14 | 77 early | Robert Zuppke |
| 1924 | 6-1-1 | Western | — | #4 | 85 early | Robert Zuppke |
| 1923 ★ | 8-0 | Western | — | #3 | 85 early | Robert Zuppke |
| 1922 | 2-5 | Western | — | #27 | 70 early | Robert Zuppke |
| 1921 | 3-4 | Western | — | #14 | 79 early | Robert Zuppke |
| 1920 | 5-2 | Western | — | #8 | 79 early | Robert Zuppke |
| 1919 ★ | 6-1 | Western | — | #10 | 78 early | Robert Zuppke |
| 1918 | 5-2 | Western | — | — | — | Robert Zuppke |
| 1917 | 5-2-1 | Western | — | #11 | 78 early | Robert Zuppke |
| 1916 | 3-3-1 | Western | — | #23 | 71 early | Robert Zuppke |
| 1915 | 5-0-2 | Western | — | #5 | 82 early | Robert Zuppke |
| 1914 ★ | 7-0 | Western | — | #1 | 93 early | Robert Zuppke |
| 1913 | 4-2-1 | Western | — | #24 | 66 early | Robert Zuppke |
| 1912 | 3-3-1 | Western | — | #16 | 71 early | Arthur Hall |
| 1911 | 4-2-1 | Western | — | #24 | 65 early | Arthur Hall |
| 1910 | 7-0 | Western | — | #13 | 74 early | Arthur Hall |
| 1909 | 5-2 | Western | — | #21 | 68 early | Arthur Hall |
| 1908 | 5-1-1 | Western | — | #11 | 77 early | Arthur Hall |
| 1907 | 3-2 | Western | — | #17 | 67 early | Arthur Hall |
| 1906 | 1-3-1 | Western | — | #24 | 61 early | Justa Lindgren |
| 1905 | 5-4 | Western | — | #16 | 68 early | Fred Lowenthal |
| 1904 | 9-2-1 | Western | — | — | — | |
| 1903 | 8-6 | Western | — | #21 | 65 early | George Woodruff |
| 1902 | 10-2-1 | Western | — | #6 | 79 early | Edgar Holt |
| 1901 | 8-2 | Western | — | #8 | 73 early | Edgar Holt |
| 1900 | 7-3-2 | Western | — | #19 | 53 early | Fred Smith |
| 1899 | 3-5-1 | Western | — | #19 | 50 early | George Huff |
| 1898 | 4-5 | Western | — | #10 | 56 early | George Huff |
| 1897 | 6-2 | Western | — | #9 | 60 early | George Huff |
| 1896 | 4-2-1 | Western | — | — | — | George Huff |
| 1895 | 4-2-1 | FBS Independents | — | — | — | George Huff |
| 1894 | 4-3 | FBS Independents | — | — | — | Louis Vail |
| 1893 | 3-2-3 | FBS Independents | — | — | — | E.K. Hall |
| 1892 | 7-4-1 | FBS Independents | — | — | — | E.K. Hall |
★ = a national title the school claims. Seasons before 1936 (the first AP poll) are the early era: shown in gray and rated on the same yardstick, but the all-time pool and program totals that matter most start in 1936.