Champaign County: The Secret Ingredient to Any Sporting Event’s Success
A facility for every sport and entertainment for all ages sets Champaign County
Introduction
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, ILLINOIS
Willard Airport, six miles south of Champaign, features American Airlines flights daily to and from Chicago and Dallas/Fort Worth. If traveling by car, I-74 connects Peoria and Bloomington from the west to Indianapolis in the east, while I-57 connects Champaign County to Chicago.
Looking for some fun activities in the area? Pick your own apples at Curtis Orchard & Pumpkin Patch and stick around for the corn maze and wagon rides. Just minutes from the Rantoul Family Sports Complex, hang out with 16 friendly animals at Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch.
Catch a film or have a bite in one of the locally owned restaurants throughout Downtown Champaign’s Entertainment District. The University of Illinois campus has something for everyone, depending on the season, but the cherry blossoms in bloom are a special treat. Champaign-Urbana Adventures in Time and Space escape rooms build teamwork through challenging, film-inspired experiences.
Krannert Art Museum is a fine-arts museum located at the University of Illinois which opened in 1961, containing over 11,000 pieces ranging from 20th-century art to pre-Columbian art from the Andean Mountains and more. Sholem Aquatic Center features learn-to-swim programs, a zero-depth pool with play-and-spray, 8-lane 25-yard lap pool, a kiddie pool with a slide, and plenty of other fun for the whole family.
MIKE KOON
Director of Sports & Special Events
Telephone: 217-351-4133
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Get a Planner’s Perspective
Don’t just take our word for it, hear what these planners had to say.
“I have always had great support from the staff at State Farm Center. Their attention to detail in preparation for and management of my events continues to be outstanding. The updates have enhanced the great atmosphere our event has enjoyed for years. We look forward to our annual return to State Farm Center as we know we will be supported at all levels including Visit Champaign County and the great staff at State Farm Center.”
— Craig Anderson, Executive Director, Illinois High School Association, referring to IHSA Individual State Wrestling Championships
Find Your Perfect Champaign County Facility
Facility Spotlight
RANTOUL FAMILY SPORTS COMPLEX
Sports Covered: Baseball, softball, soccer, football, lacrosse, rugby
The new Rantoul Family Sports Complex, just north of the University of Illinois, is a state-of-the-art facility in the Midwest. The complex offers all turf fields with eight baseball/softball, two T-ball/Challenger baseball, eight soccer/football/rugby/lacrosse multi-purpose fields, over 800 parking spaces, a splashpad, and concessions.
ACTIVITIES & RECREATION CENTER (ARC) AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
Sports Covered: Basketball, volleyball, swimming, diving, squash, wrestling, martial arts
The ARC is a 340,000-square-foot on-campus rec center with the capacity to host nearly any indoor sport with its versatile spaces. The space has four gymnasiums that can be converted into 12 basketball courts, 16 volleyball courts, three squash courts or 12 racquetball courts. Teams can take advantage of the extensive workout equipment and spaces along with its 35-foot climbing wall and one-fifth mile indoor track. It houses both an indoor and outdoor pool, with diving wells perfect for competitions and a sauna and café great to enjoy afterward.
DODDS PARK
Sports Covered: Softball, Soccer, Disc-Golf
Located at Parkland College, Dodds Park has seven premier tournament quality softball fields, in a 3-plex and 4-plex structure. The site also has 11 top quality soccer fields that have hosted the Illinois Futbol Club Spring and Fall Invites, as well as an 18-hole disc golf course.
ATKINS TENNIS CENTER & KHAN OUTDOOR COMPLEX
Sports Covered: Tennis
Recognized in 1992 by the USTA as the country’s “Most Outstanding Tennis Facility,” Atkins Tennis Center & Khan Outdoor Complex has only gotten better since then. After an expansion in 2009, the complex boasts 20 outdoor and six indoor courts, with six courts containing individual scoreboards and spectator seating. The complex can hold up to 3,800 spectators and has indoor restrooms, a pro shop and a sound system.
STATE FARM CENTER
Sports Covered: Basketball, Wrestling, WWE, Gymnastics
No stranger to large events, the State Farm Center has 15,500 permanent seats, with a max capacity of 16,500 spectators. Its flexible floor space means it’s just as ready to have a Broadway show or rock concert as it is a Fighting Illini basketball game. The arena has hosted the 2019 National Intercollegiate Wheelchair Basketball tournaments, the Illinois High School Individual Wrestling State Championships, and much more. The center recently renovated its backstage area so that any event can take full advantage of its expansive full-service kitchen, catering/dining services and locker rooms.
MEMORIAL STADIUM
Sports Covered: Football, events
Historic Memorial Stadium is located on the grounds of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Originally built in 1922, the stadium is dedicated to the university’s students who had died in World War I. Home to Illinois’ Fighting Illini football team, the stadium has undergone multiple renovations and upgrades to keep it at tip top quality, including an incredible new turf field in the Summer of 2022. Permanent seating capacity is set at 60,670. Spectators will have excellent views of the field no matter where they sit, thanks to the stadium retaining its classic architectural design throughout its renovations.
DEMIRJIAN PARK
Sports Covered: Soccer, track and field
Opened in 2021, Demirjian Park is the home of the Fighting Illini soccer program. The park features two fields, one for competition and one for practice, along with a main stadium located between the two fields and the newly renovated track and field complex. Along with the new fields, stadium and renovations, the stadium itself offers state-of-the-art amenities including locker rooms, sports medicine and nutrition facilities, coaches’ offices, video and meeting rooms, spaces for visiting teams and officials as well as lounge and study spaces.
LEONHARD RECREATION CENTER
Sports Covered: Multipurpose
The Patricia A. Leonhard Recreation Center is an indoor facility perfect for getting fit and hosting sporting events. The gymnasium has multiple courts for basketball, volleyball and pickleball tournaments and practices. The indoor track is elevated with windows surrounding the entire facility for great lighting and views. There’s also a weight room available, as well as an indoor playground. The rec center is also a sustainability facility, with a geothermal system that transfers heat through water pipes. This allows warm water underground to heat the facility during the winter months and the reverse to cool during the Summer.
PLAYFIELDS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
Sports Covered: Multipurpose
The Playfields at the University of Illinois provide additional sports facility needs on the campus for multiple, seasonal event types from March through November. Along with four turf fields for multiple sports, the facility also has three sand volleyball courts, six basketball courts and six tennis courts, all of which are lighted. Being located so close to other major university parks, arenas and stadiums also has the benefit of being used for practice or fun fitness downtime.
