# Ep. 1167 - Reasons for optimism & concern for 2026 Illini football

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/illini-inquirer-podcast-an-illinois-fighting-illini-athletics-podcast-1047532/ep-1167-reasons-for-optimism-concern-for-2026-illini-football
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/illini-inquirer-podcast-an-illinois-fighting-illini-athletics-podcast-1047532/ep-1167-reasons-for-optimism-concern-for-2026-illini-football.md
Podcast: [Illini Inquirer Podcast: An Illinois Fighting Illini athletics podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/illini-inquirer-podcast-an-illinois-fighting-illini-athletics-podcast-1047532)
Published: 2026-05-05T17:06:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pscrb.fm/rss/p/serve.castfire.com/audio/8386120/8386120_2026-05-15-211520.192.mp3?rssID=6019
Audio file: https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pscrb.fm/rss/p/serve.castfire.com/audio/8386120/8386120_2026-05-15-211520.192.mp3?rssID=6019
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Duration seconds: 4082

## Resource

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner and Joey Wagner react to Illinois firing softball coach Tyra Perry and EIU athletic director Tom Michael re-joining the Illini athletic department as Josh Whitman's No. 2. The guys then break down their top reasons for optimism and top reasons for concern for the 2026 Illinois football team. SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR Columbia Street Roastery: Head to ⁠⁠ CSRcoffee.com ⁠ and use code IlliniAllTheWay to get 10 percent off your first order and get free shipping on orders of over $45. Tushy: If you’re not Team TUSHY, you’re not Team Clean. For a limited time, our listeners get 10% off their first bidet order when you use code ILLINI at checkout. That’s 10% off your first bidet order at HelloTUSHY.com with promo code ILLINI . Follow the Illini Inquirer Podcast on: Apple: https://apple.co/3oMt0NP Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2Xan2L8 Other: https://bit.ly/36gn7Ct Go VIP for just 50% OFF: https://tinyurl.com/2fkhmjdz

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## Transcript

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