Before the Illinois Fighting Illini face off with the Washington Huskies this weekend, coach Bret Bielema’s team will take a short trip from its team hotel to the Virginia Mason Athletic Center, where the Seattle Seahawks practice on Friday for their final walk-through.
Similar to what Jedd Fisch has done when the Huskies have traversed multiple time zones for games, the No. 23-ranked Illini arrive late Thursday afternoon in Seattle for their Week Nine Big Ten Conference game against UW, instead of what fifth-year coach Bret Bielema did ahead of last season’s game at Oregon.
“A little bit of a different feel than going from a high school to that facility,” Bielema said on Monday, noting that not every road game provides the same amenities that Seattle does.
In addition to their walk-through, which is a non-padded practice where teams make final adjustments and go over plays without contact — typically the day of or day before each game — the Illini are expected to see former star cornerback and 2023 first-round pick (No. 5 overall) Devon Witherspoon when the team practices at the Seahawks facility Friday afternoon.
Over the years other college programs have used either local high schools in the Seattle area or even the team hotel for their walk through, but given the special connection Illinois has with the 2022 Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year and consensus All-American being on the team, it’s a unique opportunity to see a familiar face before the first meeting between UW and Illinois since 2014, a 44-19 victory for the Huskies under then-coach Chris Petersen.
Last August, the Seahawks opened up the VMAC to Fisch and UW for a fall camp practice, and over the years, the NFL organization has collaborated with the program on several occasions, but rarely has it allowed visiting teams to have the same treatment.
The Illini and Huskies kick off at 12:30 p.m. Saturday with the game scheduled to air on the Big Ten Network.