URBANA — While he feels bad for the folks in Rantoul who'd grown accustomed to hosting the Illini for football training camp each summer, Jim Bean sure is happy to have his favorite college team kicking off the preseason a little closer to home these days.
Between 1998 and 2015, Illinois staged all but one camp on the former Chanute Air Force Base. But second-year coach Lovie Smith has preferred to keep his team on campus since taking over in 2016.
"I do feel sorry for the community in Rantoul because I understand they probably lost out on a bit of money the camp used to bring when it was in town," Bean said.