Illini Football season is here, and with it the return of tens of thousands of fans to one of Champaign-Urbana’s most iconic venues.
In the first full season since its renaming, Gies Memorial Stadium has undergone a host of upgrades — most notably the installation of the largest scoreboard in all of college football — but also to the food served in and around the stadium.
Here is our guide to what’s new and what’s good in the historic home of Illinois Football.
The official Gies Memorial Stadium 2026 concessions map. (Courtesy of Illinois Athletics)
New Addition: Crumbl
Originating in Utah in 2017, Crumbl Cookies quickly became a national sensation. The Champaign location, housed at 2005 South Neil Street, opened its doors in August 2024 to lines around the block, and has maintained a steady community presence. The Crumbl in Gies Memorial Stadium will open in section 103, on the east side of the stadium.
Returning Favorite: Smith Burger Co.
With locations in Champaign, Urbana, Mahomet and a roving food truck, it’s no surprise that Smith Burger Co. expanded into gameday eats. Returning for its third football season inside the stadium, the restaurant offers three spots to Illini fans — West 129, East 103 and Colonnades South.
New Addition: Burrito King
Outside the east end, Gies Memorial Stadium partners with food trucks to provide more varied access to fans. New to the lineup this year is Burrito King. Known for its Green Street and Marketview Drive locations, as well as multiple food truck spots that rotate daily, the local chain has been serving C-U since 2010.
Returning Favorite: Pretzel and Beer Carts
Although the smaller snack carts are largely unnamed and unbranded when compared to their heavier-hitting counterparts, these mainstays are popular for good reason.
Illinois first allowed beer to be sold at its venues in 2019, noting that it was among the most popular fan requests for the stadium’s improvement. Other offerings at these spots vary from cotton candy tubs to popcorn to nachos, and the amount of them scattered throughout the building makes it easy to find what you’re looking for.
New (Old) Addition: Dippin’ Dots
Dippin’ Dots have been sold at Gies Memorial Stadium in the past, but this season the fan-favorite is getting its own dedicated booths for the first time in a few years. The space-age ice cream treat will be available in East 102 and 203, as well as West 129.
Returning Favorite: Big Grove Tavern
The addition of Big Grove was publicized as bringing a more sophisticated palate to the stadium in the 2025 season, with the inclusion of their “high-end menu” concession stand in the Colonnades Club and the Big Grove Batched Cocktail Tent in the horseshoe of the south end zone. Both locations return this year, giving fans an opportunity to try something slightly more unconventional for gameday.
The Illini open against the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers Thursday at 8 p.m., kicking off a highly-anticipated season loaded with good competition and, of course, classic stadium eats.