Sports

At the first-of-its-kind fundraiser game for the Humane Society of Central Illinois, adoptable dogs and more than 100 pet dogs came out to see the Bloomington Bison hockey team.

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.

Jeri Beggs is now officially ISU's athletics director, after serving in that role on an interim basis since May 2023. Beggs was named to the position Wednesday following a national search that began in November 2024.

John Snyder, a former longtime basketball coach at Central Catholic High School, has died at age 93. The man known as “The Dean” during his 39-year tenure on the Saints' bench and more than 50 years at the school leaves a legacy of perseverance, master storytelling, commitment to all things Central Catholic and a huge, caring heart.

A former official with the State Farm Holiday Classic is under suspicion of stealing from the non-profit organization that runs the annual high school basketball tournament in McLean County.

For its first 44 years, the Girls Intercity Basketball Tournament was a traveling show, bouncing from one high school to another throughout Bloomington-Normal. That changes this week when the girls and boys Intercity tournaments become one at Illinois Wesleyan’s Shirk Center, longtime site of the boys event.

Staff at the Town of Normal are proposing strict limits on crowd size, noise, and disruptions caused by pop-up parties.

Dana Starkey is the "Voice of the Ironmen" as the public address announcer at Normal Community home football and boys basketball games. Now, he's adding a new role — the Hancock Stadium P.A. man for Illinois State football.

ESPN and the Missouri Valley Conference have extended their media rights agreement for five years, through the 2028-2029 academic year.

The head coach of Bloomington's new hockey team says fans will see a much higher level of play than they saw with previous minor league teams. Philip Barski says the Bloomington Bison also are focused on the fan experience that will go beyond what happens on the ice.