1983 Fighting Illini Rose Bowl Collectors Coke Bottle
The 1983 season for the University of Illinois Fighting Illini football team proved to be memorable. This team achieved an unbelievable record of 9-0 in the Big Ten regular season conference play, and an overall record of 10-2. After finishing strong in their conference schedule, the Fighting Illini took to Pasadena, California with the hope of winning the 1984 Rose Bowl. University of Illinois “came to this 70th annual Rose Bowl with wonderful press clippings, a No. 4 national ranking and expectations of an easy romp over UCLA.”[i] The game quickly became an embarrassing display by the Fighting Illini as result of a “devastating 45-9 loss to the unheralded, unranked Bruins, who weren’t considered the Pac-10’s best team this season.”[ii]
This collector’s Coke bottle celebrates the winning season of the 1983 Fighting Illini. It displays the university's old logo with the original Chief mascot. On the other side of this bottle presents the 1983 schedule and scores from the regular season, as well as the official Rose Bowl logo.