Legends Play in Champaign-Urbana

Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, is host to a premier educational and sporting institution, the University of Illinois, a member of the Big Ten Conference. With the state-of-the art facilities that provide Olympic quality training and competition venues with over 60,000 seats available at Memorial Stadium, 16,000 at the State Farm Center, a world-class tennis center and a new, award-winning outdoor sports complex, Champaign-Urbana is able to host major sporting events such as the NCAA Tennis Championships, NCAA Men’s and Women’s Gymnastics Championships  and the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Basketball, and Wrestling State Championships.

From helping event planners find the ideal facility to marketing assistance to bring in attendees, we have a full-service approach to ensure that events are successful. We work to provide a brilliant experience to all from individual players, to coaches, officials, families and fans.

Here's a few numbers for you—

We have 100+ outdoor fields, 70+ indoor courts, 70+ tennis courts, 4,500 hotel rooms, and hundreds of locally-owned restaurants. 

Among our featured facilities, you’ll find:

Rantoul Family Sports Complex: The award-winning complex is only 15 minutes north of the University of Illinois. Offering all turf fields with eight baseball/softball, two T-ball/Challenger baseball, eight soccer/football/rugby/lacrosse multi-purpose fields, and including more than 800 parking spaces, a splashpad, concessions and restrooms, this facility has quickly been a destination for everything from football, baseball, and soccer to Quad Ball and adult softball.

State Farm Center: This architectural icon on the University of Illinois campus underwent a $170 million renovation and offers several state-of-the-art spaces to meet your needs. The facility, which seats 16,000, plays host to Fighting Illini Men’s & Women’s basketball, as well as the IHSA Boys State Basketball Tournament and the Individual State Wrestling Tournament.

The Atkins Tennis Center & Khan Outdoor Complex:  Home to the Fighting Illini Men’s and Women’s Tennis team, this impressive complex hosted the 2013 and 2022 NCAA Division 1 Women’s and Men’s Championships. It features eight outdoor championship, lighted courts, 12 outdoor lighted courts and six indoor courts.

Planning your event goes beyond the facility; it’s about the destination. Our community is filled with arts and culture, scenic outdoor spaces, local award-winning food and group-friendly restaurants, and the University of Illinois, a popular destination for youth sports. 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.

We know you’re wondering: Where exactly is Champaign-Urbana? We like to consider ourselves the heart of the state, located in East Central Illinois, centrally located between Chicago, Indianapolis, and St. Louis. With three interstates intersecting in Champaign-Urbana, an Amtrak station and the University of Illinois Willard Airport, getting here is easy for everyone.

We’ll help you on the path to success, providing the tools to get people to your event and make sure the experience is brilliant! Contact Mark Brown, markb@experiencecu.org, today to schedule a site visit.