• Block I, the largest and possibly the oldest organized student cheering section in college football, does several cheers throughout the game, including some in conjunction with the band, which sits next to the block. Block I also does a card show at halftime of every game.
• Orange and blue balloons swarm out of Memorial Stadium to mark the start of the game

• The band forms the dual UI symbols at the start of the pregame show while playing a more upbeat version of the otherwise sappy Illinois state song, "By Thy Rivers Gently Flowing"
• The band forms an outline of the United States (with the percussion section forming the outline of Illinois) as they play "God Bless America" in the second-most tear-jerking moment of the pregame show
• Red, white and blue banners unfurl as the band forms a simple star and belts out the emphasized chorus of "God Bless America" while two color guards march with the Stars and Stripes toward the east sideline (this is the most tear-jerking moment of the pregame show)
• Block I demonstrates with their cards that Chief Illiniwek is about to appear during the halftime show as the band plays (and sings, a capella) the moving "Three in One"
• Chief Illiniwek, the world's first school symbol (a concept which has been copied by every other school, albeit in the form of a "mascot", which greatly differs from the meaning of the Chief), leads the band back across the field during the second of the three songs in the "Three in One"
• Chief Illiniwek stands at midfield with his arms raised as the fans sing the Alma Mater ("Hail to the Orange")
• Bombs explode above the stadium (barely visible against the dark skies) to mark a score by the Illini
• The bell from the USS Illinois sits at the far end of the endzone and is rung out after each Illinois score to mark the number of points the home team has. My friend Dan was one of the bell-ringers from Navy ROTC during this game.

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