Frequently Asked Questions...

Do You Want to Know Something About Your Illini Club? If it is not here ask a Board Member....

What do I have to do to become a member of this Club?
Just sign up using the Member page.  While most members or their spouses are graduates of the University of Illinois, that is not a requirement to join our Club.  Anyone who likes the colors Orange & Blue and would like to be considered an Illini is welcome to join our Club.  And dues are FREE!

How is the Illini Club of San Diego County related to the University of Illinois Alumni Association?
We are separate organizations, but we work closely together.  For example, the Alumni Association supports this website financially, but most of the contents are created by Club volunteers.  Club volunteers plan events for members and conduct all of our activities as an autonomous organization.  Once a year we submit a report to the Alumni Association on our activities. And…we are all loyal Illini.

How much does membership cost?
It is FREE to become a member.

What’s our Club’s Mission Statement?
The purpose of the Illini Club of San Diego County is to express loyalty and to promote the welfare and the educational purposes of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as well as the other University of Illinois campuses. The Illini Club will endeavor to cultivate friendship and fellowship among the alumni in the greater San Diego County area.

Where do I get more information about the Club?
One place for more information is this web site. However, we would be happy to answer any questions you may have…  Go to “About Us” and then on the dropdown menu click “Contact Us” and send your question to the appropriate person.

Why join?
You will be joining an active alumni club, one that was selected by the University of Illinois Alumni Association as the Outstanding Alumni Club three times: 2001, 2004, and 2007. This is the highest award that can be awarded to a Club by the Alumni Association, and clubs are not eligible more frequently than every third year.  The Club has also won numerous 110% awards.

Are there any other benefits to joining?
Your primary benefit is that you will be directly plugged in to all Illini events and Illini news taking place in or related to San Diego County. Meet old friends and make new ones as you participate in social, cultural and sporting events with other Illini alums. There are sponsored Club activities year round. In addition, the Club maintains a “Store” where you can purchase special Illini merchandise.   And there are currently no fees to join nor any annual dues.

Is the Club only interested in social activities?
As you will read below we do organize many activities that are fun, and provide opportunities for local San Diego Illini to network with one another. However, our Illini Club also maintains a Scholarship Fund to assist current Illini students who are residents of San Diego County. For example, we provided individual $1,000 awards to three students this past year.

Another example took place in August 2007. San Diego was chosen to be the conclusion of the “Illini 4000,” a two-month cycling trip by 16 Illini cyclists from the east coast, through Urbana to the Pacific Ocean.  Their objective was to raise money to fight cancer. We organized a picnic to celebrate the arrival of the cyclists in San Diego plus our Club contributed to their cancer fight with a check for $2,500.

Can the Club help with the purchase of tickets to Illini sporting events?
Normally we can help get tickets depending on the event. We were able to secure a limited amount of tickets for the NCAA regional basketball tournament played at SDSU in March 2007. Also, we obtained tickets for the January 1, 2008 Rose Bowl game featuring our Illini and we organized three private buses to attend the Rose Bowl game, as well as attend the Parade for those interested in doing both.

Some other recent Illini sporting events where we organized purchase of group tickets and in some cases, pre-game “pep rallies, tail gates” include:

  • at Oregon (football)
  • at UC Berkeley (football)
  • at Portland (basketball vs. U. of Oregon)
  • Maui Tournament (basketball)
  • at SDSU (football)
  • at Phoenix (basketball vs. U. of Arizona)
  • Las Vegas Invitational Tournament (basketball)

What about other activities that the Club sponsors?
We typically sponsor a variety of events throughout the year. Here is a sample of the sorts of events our Club has organized over the past few years:

  • "Game Watches”—with these informal events you can join fellow Illini to watch basketball and football games on large screen TVs and enjoy a bite to eat at one of 3 San Diego sports bars: 

    • McGregor's is located at 10475 San Diego Mission Road about one mile east of Qualcomm Stadium. No one under 21 is allowed in McGregor's.    

    • Chief's Burgers & Brew is located at 124 Lomas Santa Fe Drive (#108) across from the Solana Beach Train Station.  There should be plenty of parking.

    • Players Sports Grill is located at 5225 Kearny Villa Road, San Diego. They very recently opened.  Mike is the Illini owner who hosted our Club for many years at his former location in Kearny Mesa.

  • Annual Banquet—each spring we have a dinner banquet capped off with a speaker or performers. Also at the banquet we make an award to a local Alum of the University of Illinois who has demonstrated commitment and service in their chosen profession and their respective communities.
  • Special social events
  • “Poker Night” at a member’s home
  • Picnics
  • Sporting events such as: Cubs vs. Padres baseball games—along with a pre- or post-game social, and San Diego Gulls minor league hockey games
  • Theater: San Diego Symphony, Summer Pops, plays at Lawrence Welk Village and at the Old Globe theater
  • Tours: the Aircraft Carrier Midway, Pacific Southwest Museum train in Campo, the Stone Brewery in Escondido

Is there anything more?
Sure! Through our Club web site you will be able to purchase Illini merchandise with our Club logo (e.g., baseball hats, golf shirts in blue and orange, tee-shirts in orange).