You will must forgive Illinois soccer followers for wincing when the phrases “playoff contender” or “this yr’s Indiana” are tossed about as liberally as they’ve been this offseason. Not as a result of the comparability to Indiana is misguided — it’s, because the Hoosiers have been coming off a 3-9 report final season with a first-year coach whereas Illinois received 10 video games in 2024 — however as a result of Illinois and expectations have gone collectively like oil and vinegar.

You will hear lots about how Illinois returns almost each key starter from final yr’s crew. You will additionally hear about third-year beginning quarterback Luke Altmyer, who hasn’t posted gaudy numbers the final two seasons however has routinely discovered methods to make large performs when his crew wants him most.

What you do not hear a lot about is that this: the final time Illinois each began and ended a season ranked within the AP High 25 was 1990.

Again in 1990, Illinois was coming off a 10-2 season underneath John Mackovic that ended with a win over Virginia within the Citrus Bowl. That crew was led by Jeff George, and though he left to turn into the No. 1 choose within the 1990 NFL Draft, the Illini started 1990 ranked at No. 11. They barely clung on, ending the season 8-4 and ranked No. 25.

Whereas they’d be ranked for a number of weeks in 1991, Illinois would not enter the AP Ballot once more till 1994 when it started the season at No. 21. The Illini would end 7-5 and solely spend three weeks within the ballot that yr. And it has been a standard theme for them since.

Illinois started the 1994, 2000, and 2008 seasons ranked and completed these three seasons with a mixed report of 17-18. An incapability to maintain success has dogged this system for the reason that late Nineteen Fifties, which is exactly what Bret Bielema was introduced in to repair forward of the 2021 season.

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Tom Fornelli

A brand new period

Given the outcomes of his first 4 years in Champaign, Bielema appears to be on observe to take action. His 28 wins by 4 seasons are already the ninth-most at school historical past. His win proportion of .560 ranks fifth amongst Illinois coaches who coached no less than 40 video games, and should you bump that quantity as much as 50 video games, he is second all-time behind Robert Zuppke, the person Illinois’ enjoying discipline is called after. 

That is why Illinois was joyful at hand Bielema a profitable contract extension this offseason. He is introduced wins and pleasure to a program that has lengthy wanted it.

However Bielema himself has fallen sufferer to Illinois’ heated rivalry with expectations. The Illini climbed as excessive as No. 14 within the AP Ballot through the 2022 season and No. 16 within the Faculty Soccer Playoff rankings after a 7-1 begin to the 2022 season. They’d lose 4 of their subsequent 5 — together with a decent loss to Michigan in Ann Arbor — to complete the yr unranked at 8-5. Whereas Illinois would not begin 2023 within the polls, expectations have been excessive for a crew that had received eight video games, and whereas there weren’t playoff hopes, there have been legit hopes Illinois would get again to a bowl sport. It’d mark the primary time Illinois went bowling in consecutive seasons since 2010-11.

As an alternative, they went 5-7 as they transitioned to a first-year starter in Altmyer, and first-year defensive coordinator Aaron Henry’s unit struggled to switch some key defections. They rebounded fairly properly in 2024 and at the moment are staring down the barrel of these expectations once more.

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Will Backus

Defining success 

So, what does success appear like for the Illini in 2025? The AP Preseason High 25 will not be launched till August, however the Illini must be ranked within the prime 15 primarily based on the place post-spring rankings from numerous media shops. A rating that top suggests Illinois ought to stay within the Massive Ten title race many of the season and can be a critical contender for an at-large berth within the playoff.

Whereas Bret Bielema would by no means say so publicly — he has not been shy in the case of speaking a couple of playoff run — given this system’s historical past, even when the Illini do not find yourself in a playoff sport, ending the season within the prime 25 could be a significant step ahead. It will be the primary time this system had completed so in 35 years. Overlook in regards to the gamers; a few of the coaches on Illinois’ workers weren’t alive but. Bielema was nonetheless enjoying for the Iowa Hawkeyes underneath Hayden Fry. That is an accomplishment price celebrating — even when it is not the ultimate aim

It will be proof of idea which you can construct a sustained winner at Illinois. That is finally why Bielema was employed. When he was enjoying for Iowa, Bielema was an Illinois native enjoying for a program that had begun to seek out sustained success underneath Fry. Bielema then went on to educate at Wisconsin underneath Barry Alvarez, one other program that discovered sustained success. When he took over as head coach, Bielema sustained that success, profitable three Massive Ten titles.

His historical past of profitable at applications with out a lot historical past and getting these groups rotated is why he was so interesting to Illinois within the first place. So, whereas Illinois and outsiders can throw out the phrase “playoff” with reckless abandon, it should not be playoff or bust in Champaign.

The actual aim must be to maintain profitable and show this crew was greater than a one-hit surprise. Every other honors that include these victories can be icing on the cake.