Illinois assessing stadium safety for Fri

• Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior WriterOct 3, 2023, 11:47 PM ET

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  • College football reporter.
  • Signed up with ESPN.com in 2008.
  • Graduate of Northwestern University.A fire that broke out

Tuesday night at Illinois ‘Memorial Arena has actually been extinguished, and the school will continue to evaluate whether the center is safe to host Friday night’s football game versus Nebraska.Illinois stated the fire happened in the southwest corner of the arena,

far from viewer areas. No injuries were reported.The school’s department of intercollegiate athletics will examine the center Wednesday but said in

a declaration that”early indicators are positive”that Friday’s game can be hosted without any disturbance or seating changes.Champaign fire department spokesperson Randy Smith told local media outlets that firemens responded to the scene and discovered an energy lorry and

a riding mower on fire beneath the horseshoe area in the south part of the arena. After finding the blaze, firefighters from Champaign and neighboring Urbana rapidly put it out.Memorial Stadium was finished in 1923 and went through a$121 million restoration in 2008. The school likewise completed upgrades to the East side of the stadium prior to the 2023 season.