Bret Bielema Makes Blunt Admission About Illinois’ Challenge Against Ryan Day’s Ohio State: “I’m Not So Good”

Illinois, preparing heavily for road games, takes on No. 7 Ohio State

Illinois coach Bret Bielema has been preaching to his players that the key to reaching an elite level in the Big Ten is winning on the road.That was the theme during preseason camp, and it was reiterated this week in preparation for when the Illini (2-...

Bret Bielema Makes Blunt Admission About Illinois’ Challenge Against Ryan Day’s Ohio State: “I’m Not So Good”

Bret Bielema knows Illinois can walk into the same financial neighborhood as Ohio State. He doesn’t seem interested in pretending otherwise. As the Fighting Illini prepare for a trip to Columbus, he was asked about the growing gap in roster spending across the Big Ten. How does a program like Illinois keep competing when OSU […]

Bielema speaks on roster budget discrepancy

Pay to win is no longer a phrase that applies only to video games.  Last week, David Ubben, a reporter for The Athletic, released a story about how much each Power Four college football program spent on its roster. The Ohio State topped the Big Ten, spending approximately $49-54 million. Illinois was near the bottom, spending...