Where is Section 129 at Gies Memorial Stadium?

In the lower level, west sideline, on the Illinois side of the field.

Gies Memorial Stadium Section 129: view from your seat, rows and shade

Section 129 is in the lower level, west sideline of Gies Memorial Stadium, on the Illinois side of the field. Its rows run 1-43 (43 rows), all open to the sky. The front row is 153 ft from midfield and Row 43 sits 33 ft above the field. At a 2:00 pm kickoff for Illinois vs Oregon, a seat here gets about 3 minutes of direct sun.

View from Gies Memorial Stadium Section 129, Row 22, looking toward the field — Middle rows: view from Section 129, Row 22. 3D model built from USGS lidar of the stadium, not a photo.

View from Gies Memorial Stadium Section 129, Row 3, looking toward the field — Lower rows: view from Section 129, Row 3. 3D model built from USGS lidar of the stadium, not a photo.

View from Gies Memorial Stadium Section 129, Row 41, looking toward the field — Top open rows: view from Section 129, Row 41. 3D model built from USGS lidar of the stadium, not a photo.

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How many rows are in Section 129?

43 rows: 1-43. Row list from rateyourseats.com.

Is Section 129 covered?

No. Every row is open to the sky.

How far is Section 129 from the field?

The front row is 153 ft (46.5 m) from midfield; Row 43 is 221 ft. Eye height runs from 6 ft above the field at the front to 33 ft at the top. You look down at the field at 2.2° from Row 1, 5.7° from Row 22 and 8.4° from Row 43. Seats face a compass bearing of 88.4°.

Row	To midfield	Eye height	Angle down	Covered
1	153 ft	6 ft	2.2°	no
7	162 ft	10 ft	3.4°	no
13	172 ft	13 ft	4.2°	no
19	181 ft	17 ft	5.3°	no
25	191 ft	20 ft	6.0°	no
31	201 ft	25 ft	7.0°	no
37	211 ft	28 ft	7.5°	no
43	221 ft	33 ft	8.4°	no

Is Section 129 in the sun or shade?

Mostly shaded: about 3 minutes of direct sun at a 2:00 pm kickoff for Illinois vs Oregon. By row band: front third 10 min, middle 0 min, top 0 min. Every remaining home game and possible kickoff time:

Game	Kickoff	Sun
Illinois vs Oregon Sat Oct 24, 2026	2:00 pm (announced)	3 min shade at kickoff
Illinois vs Nebraska Fri Nov 6, 2026	7:00 pm (announced)	0 min shade at kickoff
Illinois vs Iowa Sat Nov 21, 2026	2:30 pm	0 min shade at kickoff
Illinois vs Iowa Sat Nov 21, 2026	11:00 am	90 min shade 12:30 pm
Illinois vs Iowa Sat Nov 21, 2026	6:30 pm	0 min shade at kickoff

Next door: Gies Memorial Stadium Section 128 · Gies Memorial Stadium Section 130

Planning the day: Gies Memorial Stadium seating chart with sun and shade · Gies Memorial Stadium parking, shuttles and rideshare · Gies Memorial Stadium bag policy and stadium rules · how the Gies Memorial Stadium data is measured.