Where is the student section at Gies Memorial Stadium?

Block I is in the north end zone, Sections 132 to 137.

Where do visiting fans sit at Gies Memorial Stadium?

On the east side; the visitor section is Section 109.

When do beer sales end at Gies Memorial Stadium?

At the start of the fourth quarter.

Gies Memorial Stadium seating chart: sections, rows, sun and shade

Gies Memorial Stadium (Memorial Stadium until 2025) holds 60,670 fans: a lower level right round the field (101 to 137) and two balconies, 201 to 209 over the east side and 223 to 231 over the west side. The field runs north to south. Illinois sits on the west side, below the tower and the Colonnades Club; visiting fans sit on the east side; the students fill the north end. This guide models 55 seating sections from lidar.

Capacity	60,670 (Wikipedia; fightingillini.com does not state one)
Sections modelled	55: lower level 101 to 137, east balcony 201 to 209, west balcony 223 to 231
Opened	1923
Students	Block I, north end zone (fightingillini.com); Sections 132 to 137 (rateyourseats.com)
Illinois side	West, Sections 119 to 131 and the west balcony (rateyourseats.com)
Visiting fans	East side; the visitor section is 109 (rateyourseats.com)
Covered rows	East lower level Rows 42 to 74 (under the east balcony); west balcony Rows 14 to 16; the Colonnades Club (rateyourseats.com)
Location	1402 S First St, Champaign, Illinois 61820

Gies Memorial Stadium seating chart with the lower level and both balconies — Gies Memorial Stadium seating chart, drawn to scale from lidar. North at the top, the west tower on the left.

Which side of Gies Memorial Stadium is in the shade?

Sit on the west sideline for shade; the east sideline gets the most sun. Average minutes of direct sun per seat for Illinois vs Oregon at 2:00 pm: balcony east 207 min, lower level north 115 min, lower level east 94 min, lower level south 66 min, lower level west 8 min, balcony west 0 min.

Shadiest seats for the next game: Illinois vs Oregon, Sat Oct 24, 2026

Kickoff 2:00 pm CT: shadiest Section 231, Section 230, Section 229, Section 228, Section 227, sunniest Section 206, Section 207, Section 208, Section 202, Section 203. Illinois vs Oregon sun map.

Sunniest sections for every remaining Illinois home game

Game	Kickoff	Sunniest sections
Illinois vs Oregon Sat Oct 24, 2026	2:00 pm (announced)	Section 206 (220 min), Section 207 (220 min), Section 208 (220 min)
Illinois vs Nebraska Fri Nov 6, 2026	7:00 pm (announced)	none (after sunset)
Illinois vs Iowa Sat Nov 21, 2026	2:30 pm	Section 207 (129 min), Section 208 (129 min), Section 206 (124 min)
Illinois vs Iowa Sat Nov 21, 2026	11:00 am	Section 137 (220 min), Section 201 (220 min), Section 202 (220 min)
Illinois vs Iowa Sat Nov 21, 2026	6:30 pm	none (after sunset)

Kickoff times in Central Time. The Iowa kickoff is not announced yet, so each Big Ten window is shown.

Before you go

Gates: open 90 minutes before kickoff (2 hours for premium seats). No re-entry.
Bags: a clear bag up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches, a clear drawstring bag up to 12 x 12, or a one-gallon clear bag, plus a clutch up to 4.5 x 7 inches. No backpacks or umbrellas. Bag policy.
Food and water: food in a clear bag is allowed, and sealed plastic water bottles up to 20 oz or empty bottles.
Beer: sales stop at the start of the fourth quarter. Everything inside is cashless.
Getting there: $30 gameday lots, the MTD Tran-Sport bus and free lot shuttles. Parking, shuttles and rideshare.

Facts: fightingillini.com (name, opened, gates, bag policy, food and water, re-entry, cashless, alcohol, parking, shuttles, rideshare), rateyourseats.com (student section numbers, visitor section, sides, covered rows) and Wikipedia (capacity). Shape and sun: our lidar measurements.