Today, the University of Illinois announced that football games will be broadcast in Mandarin Chinese via online radio. This seems like a natural fit for the U of I, seeing as though more than 4,500 of the undergraduate population is from China. For an atheltic department and sport that could use a substantial boost, this seems like a fantastic marketing move as well, as American football is now more accessible to an international population than ever before. Maybe now we won’t consistently get ripped on by Deadspin for having the saddest student section in the country.
The broadcast will feature David He and Bruce Lu behind the mic, and will be available starting this season. More info can be found here.
To anyone who doubts Champaign-Urbana’s status as an international city (or cities), what’s more international than this? Every day we’re more connected, and every day it’s more exciting than before.