Fans to Hear More Than 150 Live Events on Newstalk 1400 WDWS-AM and 93.9 FM, Lite Rock 97.5 WHMS-FM

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and its multimedia rightsholder, LEARFIELD’s Fighting Illini Sports Properties, have announced the continuation of a decades-long broadcast relationship with Champaign Multimedia Group, formerly News-Gazette Media.

The extended agreement, concurrent with the 2022-23 collegiate athletic season, provides fans the opportunity to hear Fighting Illini programming on Champaign Multimedia Group-owned stations Newstalk 1400 WDWS-AM, 93.9 FM and Lite Rock 97.5 WHMS-FM. More than 150 live events will be aired each athletic season. All home and away Illini football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and women’s volleyball will be carried, as well as the coaches’ shows and brief daily show update across all sports. In addition, a select number of softball games will be carried each year.

“Some things are just meant to go together, and that’s how we feel about the Illini and WDWS and WHMS,” said Vice President/Market Manager, Champaign Multimedia Group Grant Thompson. “2022 marks the 85th anniversary of the first football game on our airwaves, and this renewal leads us to our ninth decade broadcasting the Illini. We really couldn’t be more excited.”

Game action for Illini football and men’s basketball will be simulcast on Lite Rock 97.5 and Newstalk 1400, while baseball, women’s volleyball and the select softball games will be carried on Newstalk 1400.

“We are very pleased to continue our long-running relationship with the Champaign Multimedia Group as the home for Fighting Illini Athletics on the radio here in the Champaign-Urbana area,” said UI Director of Athletics Josh Whitman. “Fighting Illini fans in and around Champaign-Urbana have been able to find our games on these radio stations for decades. The familiarity between all parties makes this a great relationship. Thanks to LEARFIELD and Champaign Multimedia Group for continuing this wonderful partnership.”

About Champaign Multimedia Group

Champaign Multimedia Group (CMG) is devoted to delivering the highest quality news, information and entertainment to audiences throughout East Central Illinois. CMG is consistently recognized for outstanding journalism, commentary, advertising, broadcasting and design, reaching hundreds of thousands of residents with a family of products that include 10 print publications and eight websites, including nationally recognized The News-Gazette and news-gazette.com and three radio stations: WDWS (News Talk 1400/93.9) Champaign Count’s first commercial radio station, WHMS (Lite Rock 97.5) and WKIO (Classic Hits 107.9).

About the Fighting Illini

The University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics sponsors 21 varsity teams and is a charter member of both the nation’s premier league, the Big Ten Conference, and the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA). Since its inception as an athletics department in 1890, Fighting Illini teams have won 18 NCAA Championships, five football national championships and 252 Big Ten titles. Illinois has advanced to five NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Fours. University of Illinois alumni athletes have won 33 Olympic medals while competing for 17 countries in 25 Olympic Games. Notable University of Illinois athletics alumni include Pro Football Hall of Famers Harold “Red” Grange, Dick Butkus and George Halas; National Baseball Hall of Famer Lou Boudreau; and, Naismith Basketball Hall of Famers Jerry Colangelo and Mannie Jackson.