SPORTS PLAYBOOK

visitchampaigncounty.org Make your next event more than memorable. Make it OUTSIDE OF ORDINARY. NO MATTER THE Make your next event more TEAMS COME TO IN OUR DIRT Wondering what makes the greater Champaign County area Outside than memorable. Make it of Ordinary? You’ll have to come visit us to see.

It goes beyond the destination, filled with arts and culture, scenic outdoor spaces, local award-winning food, and the University of OUTSIDE OF ORDINARY. . With our renowned Midwest Hospitality and our collection of urban and rural experiences, people can’t stop talking about our community. Maybe that’s why we’re the fastest growing city in Illinois.

Champaign County is host to a premier educational and sporting institution, the University of Illinois, a member of the . With the state-of-the art facilities that provide Olympic quality training and venues with over 60,000 seats available at Memorial , 16,000 at the Center, a world-class center, and a new, state-of-the art track and soccer stadium, Champaign County is able to host major sporting events such as the NCAA Tennis , NCAA Men’s and Women’s Championships and the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) , , and State Championships.

We’ll help you the path to success, providing the tools to get people to your event and make sure the experience is Outside of Ordinary!

DETROIT 311 Miles

MINNEAPOLIS 421 Miles 136 Miles

THE OF THE

INDIANAPOLIS CHAMPAIGN COUNTY MIDWEST 116 Miles We know you’re wondering—where exactly is Champaign County? We like to consider ourselves the heart of the state, located in East Central Illinois, centrally located between Chicago, Indianapolis LOUISVILLE and St. Louis. With three interstates intersecting in 187 Miles ST. LOUIS Champaign–Urbana, an Amtrak station and Willard 165 Miles Airport, getting here is easy for everyone.

MEMPHIS 358 Miles Just the EVENTS IN Facts CHAMPAIGN COUNTY We’re no stranger to hosting events in our community. From small to national championships, we have the facility and the BIG TEN experience to make your event a success. FACILITIES Here’s just a few of the events we host: • 2019 NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championships NATIONAL • 2021 Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships REGIONAL, AND STATE • 2022 NCAA Men’s & Women’s Tennis TOURNAMENTS Championships • 2019 National Intercollegiate • Christie Clinic (18,000 71 runners) • Gameday USA INDOOR COURTS • Illinois Futbol Club Spring & Fall invites (265+ teams each) • Chiefs Classic Ice Tournament • Land of Lincoln Speedskating 100+ Championships OUTDOOR FIELDS • Illinois High School Association Boys Basketball State Tournament (16 teams) • Illinois High School Association Individual Wrestling State Championships (40,000 fans + competitors) 70+ Illinois High School • TENNIS COURTS Championships (16 teams) • American Junior Association Junior All- Tournament • Steve Stricker Illini Golf Classic 4,500 • Champaign Illini Invitational AREA HOTEL ROOMS • IPRA Central Region Finals • Hot Rod Power Tour • Republic Sleeping Giant Competition HUNDREDS • Illinois Championships OF LOCAL RESTAURANTS & OPTIONS Our Services FACILITY SITE INSPECTION After reviewing the many facilities available in our community in this playbook, schedule a site visit for an in- person tour. We’ll coordinate with you and the facility for a dedicated time to learn about any of the spaces, and hotels in our area. ACCOMMODATIONS BIDDING ASSISTANCE The greater Champaign County area has over Need assitance negotiating with a facility? We can help with discussions 4,500 hotel rooms to house your guests. to ensure the costs to host your event is within your budget. Our 24 hotel partners provide nearly 2,500 rooms at competitive rates. We’ll help you find ACCOMMODATIONS the right space, close to your facility. We will help you secure affordable accommodations for teams, individual athletes, coaches, officials and spectators. Our hotel partners offer PROPERTY...... #OF ROOMS thousands of rooms, with many doubles and suites, to provide ample Best Western Plus...... 100 accommodations to suit your needs. Candlewood Suites...... 83 ATTENDANCE BOOSTERS Comfort Suites...... 86 Want to attract a regional and local audience? We will help market Country Inn & Suites...... 83 your event in and around the greater Champaign County area to attract participants and spectators. Courtyard by Marriott...... 78 Drury Inn & Suites...... 131 SHUTTLE TRANSPORTATION Eastland Suites...... 126 Make it easy for your athletes and fans to get to your event. We can help set up shuttles with local motorcoaches to make the event go smoother. Fairfield Inn...... 60 Hampton Inn Urbana...... 130 VISITOR WELCOME Hampton Inn Champaign...... 80 Our team will make your athletes and fans feel welcome in our Hilton Garden Inn...... 99 community. We’ll start be creating a dedicated webpage with helpful resources such as our online Experience Guide, maps, shopping and Holiday Inn...... 199 dining options, as well as links to accommodations. We can also prepare Holiday Inn Express...... 74 packets for coaches and officials, and provide on-site concierge service. Holiday Inn Express Rantoul...... 74 PUBLIC RELATIONS Homewood Suites by Hilton...... 98 Want to boost media attention? We can help! We will work with you on Home2 Suites...... 104 press releases and media events to attract local and regional media to Hyatt Place...... 145 your event. I Hotel & Conference Center...... 126 CUSTOMIZED TOUR ITINERARIES Hotel...... 72 Want tours outside your event for fans? With our many museums, La Quinta Inn...... 122 attractions, and local businesses ready to welcome you, our team can create a customized itinerary to provide an Outside of Ordinary Roof Inn...... 101 experience, Residence Inn by Marriott...... 112 Rodeway Inn...... 65 TownePlace Suites...... 95 VILLAGE OF RANTOUL • • • • • • • • AMENITIES restrooms. football/rugby/ multi-purposefields, over 800parkingspaces,andasplashpad,concessions of Illinois.Offeringallturffieldswitheightbaseball/, two T-/Challenger baseball,eightsoccer/ The new Rantoul Family SportsComplex (opened inspring2021)isonly 15minutes northoftheUniversity Rantoul |myrantoul.com/sportscomplex RANTOUL FAMILY SPORTS COMPLEX 800+ Parking Spaces 3 Restrooms 3 Consession Stands Playground Splashpad 8 Football/Rugby/Lacrosse Multi-PurposeFields 2 T-Ball/Challenger BaseballTurf Fields 8 Baseball/SoftballTurf Fields Speedskating Hockey Track &Field Gymnastics Wrestling Tennis Rugby Lacrosse Basketball Football Soccer Softball Baseball SPORT AVAILABLE • • • • • • • • • • AVAILABLE Gymnastics Volleyball & Field Track Hockey Speedskating SPORT Baseball Softball Soccer Football Basketball Lacrosse Rugby Tennis Swimming Wrestling 3-Plex (290’ fence distance) 3-Plex (290’ fence distance) 4-Plex (300’ Handicap accessible bathrooms 4 full-size soccer fields (11v11) 4 full-size field a full-size 2 U12 fields + 2 U12 fields across 4 U10 fields 6–8 U8 fields Concessions 7 Softball fields • • • • • • • • AMENITIES • DODDS COMPLEX Champaign | champaignparks.com Mattis Ave., 1501 N. fields, a playground lighted baseball/softball exceptional seven features 110-acres, Sitting on over 12 soccer fields with permanent are the park, there Across and permanent concessions and restrooms. 18-hole Disc Golf Course. a new and concessions and restrooms CHAMPAIGN PARK DISTRICT PARK CHAMPAIGN

LEONHARD RECREATION CENTER 2307 Sangamon Dr., Champaign | champaignparks.com/leonhard-recreation-center/ This community recreation center, centrally located in Champaign, opened in 2014 with a variety of amenities. The facility can accommodate basketball, volleyball, and gymnastics tournaments.

AMENITIES SPORT AVAILABLE • 2 Full-size basketball courts or 4 cross courts Baseball • 4 Volleyball courts Softball • Men’s, women’s and co-ed height Soccer • Party room accommodating 48 people Football • Locker room Basketball • ADA accessible bathrooms and elevator • Lacrosse Rugby Tennis Swimming Wrestling Gymnastics • Volleyball • Track & Speedskating UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS • • • • AVAILABLE Gymnastics Volleyball & Field Track Hockey Speedskating SPORT Baseball Softball Soccer Football Basketball Lacrosse Rugby Tennis Swimming Wrestling Locker Rooms Locker 7 concession stands + options for pop-up carts and stands Full-size basketball court basketball Full-size & loge seating suites Luxury room and press Media seating area Display—23’x15’ HD Video Special lighting capabilities Circular with 27,000 sq. ft. sq. with 27,000 arena Circular 15,500 padded seats seats 161 ADA • • • • • • • AMENITIES • • • FARM STATE Champaign | statefarmcenter.com St, First 1800 S. million renovation a $170 undergone of Illinois campus has recently icon on the University This architectural & Illini Men’s to FIghting host your needs. The facility plays to meet spaces state-of-the-art and offers several Wrestling State Individual and the Tournament Basketball State Boys IHSA as the as well basketball, Women’s Tournament. UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

ILLINOIS FIELD 601 E. Kirby Ave., Champaign | fightingillini.com , one of the finest collegiate facilities in the Midwest, serves as the home of Fighting Illini Baseball. Illinois Field’s newest additions include a FieldTurf surface installed in 2008 and a new video in 2015.

AMENITIES SPORT AVAILABLE • 330 feet down the lines, 370 feet to the alleys and 400 feet to center field Baseball • • Locker room Softball • 4 batting cages Soccer • 2 bullpens Football Basketball • 25-person press • 1,500 spectator seats Rugby • seating for up to 3,000 Tennis • Parking in adjacent grassy area Swimming • Restrooms Wrestling • Concessions Gymnastics Volleyball Track & Field Hockey Speedskating UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS • AVAILABLE Gymnastics Volleyball & Field Track Hockey Speedskating SPORT Baseball Softball Soccer Football Basketball Lacrosse Rugby Tennis Swimming Wrestling Concession stand Concession Restrooms lot in adjacent grassy Parking 200’ fence and 210’ from home to center field center home to from fence and 210’ 200’ seats 1,500 spectator box Press • • • AMENITIES • • • EICHELBERGER FIELD EICHELBERGER Urbana | fightingillini.com Florida Ave., W. 1202 the side of a hill Built into facilities in the country. softball Field is one of the premier Eichelberger seating for 1,500 fans. The sight lines and great in Urbana, the stadium provides Florida Avenue overlooking field the center home to lines and is 210 feet from the corner to home plate 200 feet from fence measures fence. UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

ATKINS TENNIS CENTER & KHAN OUTDOOR COMPLEX 1751 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana | fightingillini.com Home to the Fighting Illini Men’s and Women’s Tennis team, this impressive complex hosted the 2013 NCAA Division 1 Women’s and Men’s Championships, and will host again in 2022. AMENITIES SPORT AVAILABLE • 8 championship courts with built in bleachers and lights Baseball • 6 indoor courts Softball • 12 lighted and newly refinished courts on-site Soccer • Pro Shop Football Basketball • Locker rooms Lacrosse • Lounge area Rugby • Adjacent parking in paved lot and grassy areas Tennis • Swimming Wrestling Gymnastics Volleyball Track & Field Hockey Speedskating UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS • • AVAILABLE Gymnastics Volleyball & Field Track Hockey Speedskating SPORT Baseball Softball Soccer Football Basketball Lacrosse Rugby Tennis Swimming Wrestling Video and meeting rooms Video Lounge area areas parking in grassy Adjacent Concessions Restrooms 2 full size soccer fields 2 full size & field complex Track rooms Locker • • • • • AMENITIES • • • DEMIRJIAN PARK DEMIRJIAN fightingillini.com Urbana | Rd., 606 Saint Marys open of Illinois campus. The soccer stadium, currently the University to stadium is new This state-of-the-art lighting, box, be open featuring 8,000 seats, a press stadium will soccer fields. In 2021, the track two features locker field with a sand base. Other amenities include Grass and a Kentucky area, throwing separate spaces. lounge and study video and meeting rooms, rooms, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

ACTIVITIES & RECREATION CENTER 201 E. Peabody Dr., Champaign | campusrec.illinois.edu The ARC, with an impressive 340,000 square feet, is one of the country’s largest on-campus recreation centers. This on-campus facility is host to a variety of sports and recreational activities for students and outside events.

AMENITIES SPORT AVAILABLE • Four gymnasiums —13 basketball/17 volleyball courts Baseball • 12 Raquetball courts Softball • 2 50-meter swimming pools Soccer • 3 Squash courts Football Basketball • • 150-seat auditorium Lacrosse • 9 multi-purpose areas Rugby Tennis Swimming • Wrestling Gymnastics • Volleyball • Track & Field Hockey Speedskating UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS • • • • • • AVAILABLE Gymnastics Volleyball & Field Track Hockey Speedskating SPORT Baseball Softball Soccer Football Basketball Lacrosse Rugby Tennis Swimming Wrestling 6 lighted tennis courts tennis 6 lighted Drinking fountains Port-a-Potties 4 lighted turf fields 4 lighted courts sand volleyball 3 lighted courts basketball 6 lighted • • • AMENITIES • • • OUTDOOR CENTER PLAYFIELDS OUTDOOR CENTER Champaign | campusrec.illinois.edu & Stadium Dr., St. First Stadium, and Memorial to the ARC adjacent Street, at First located are Playfields Center The Outdoor has seasonal this area Club Sports, and Open Rec, Used for Intramurals, Drive. spanning either side of Stadium November. through March use from Contact me before your next RFP to find out how we provide an Outside of Ordinary event in the greater Champaign County area!

MIKE KOON Director of Sports, Events, and Film 217.351.4133 [email protected] visitchampaigncounty.org