College Sports

A 2017 Normal West High School graduate, Kinley has been around a lot of winning in his young career as a television sports director. While at KSNT in Topeka, Kansas, he covered a Kansas men’s basketball national championship and two Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl wins. Now this: Illinois’ run to the men’s basketball Final Four as sports director at WCIA in Champaign.

Athletic director Mike Wagner announced the addition this week, with the team beginning its first competitive season in the 2026-27 academic year. It is the eighth sport added at IWU since 2019.

The Heartland Community College baseball team is returning to the World Series for a fourth straight season, on a quest for the program’s second national championship during that span.

Republican state lawmakers have signaled they want to ban transgender girls from competing on girls school sports teams in Illinois.

The WNIT has announced the Redbirds will play Abeline Christian in the Super 16 round on Thursday. The game will be played at Shirk Center in Bloomington.

The Illinois State women’s basketball team will participate in a third consecutive Postseason WNIT, but the Redbirds have to wait a little longer to find out their first opponent.

Illinois State University has formally introduced Jeri Beggs as its new athletics director. University president Aondover Tarhule says Beggs showed visionary leadership in her nearly two years in the interim role.

The Illinois State University men’s basketball team announced Monday it will accept a spot in the 16-team College Basketball Invitational in Daytona Beach.

The Missouri Valley Football Conference has had one commissioner in its history. That will change after this season. Patty Viverito will retire after her 40th season at the helm of the premier mid-major football conference.

The induction ceremony will take place at the Hall of Fame breakfast at 8 a.m. Sept. 28 at the Bone Student Center Brown Ballroom on the ISU campus.