Orange Krush
Encyclopedia
Orange Krush is a branch of the registered student organization (RSO), Illini Pride, at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
. In its current form, the Organization has two faces. First, the Orange Krush is the student cheering section for the University of Illinois men's basketball team
. Second, the Orange Krush exists as a charitable organization known as the Orange Krush Foundation.
The name Orange Krush is a pun
of the soft drink
Orange Crush
.
and NCAA
tournaments.
Different levels of Orange Krush membership exist based on the amount of pledge money raised. A member must raise a minimum of $1.50 per 3-point shot to qualify for membership. These members are known as varsity members. Orange Krush members having raised more than $3.00 per shot become All-American members, the top-tier members. A third level exists for first-year students, known as the Scout level, in which a member must only raise $1.00 per 3-pointer.
In 2006, the Orange Krush was named by Sports Illustrated as the second best student section in the country, behind only Duke.
In years past, the Orange Krush posed as a youth group from Chicago for an away Michigan game and as a group of alumni from Penn State for a game at Penn State. Signing up for campus tours and taking pictures with the coaches, the Orange Krush members didn't reveal their identity until seconds before tip-off.
prior to doors opening. Because of the desire to gain front row seats, the first All-American members often arrive several hours early. The first All-American members arrived in line outside Assembly Hall 40 hours prior to tip-off for the Fighting Illini
's meeting with the Wake Forest
Demon Deacons on December 5, 2004 as part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. After everyone is seated, then the theme song of Orange Krush, which changes year to year, is played.
To ensure that members are staying in line during these long waits, a series of "line-checks" are performed randomly by the Orange Krush administration. Each member, upon entering the line, is issued a numbered card indicating their place in line, and if they are absent for a line check, that member is considered out of line, and must go to the end of the line.
For the 2005-06 season, with Orange Krush membership swelling to more than 1,200 students (more than double the membership from the 2003-04 season), the Orange Krush Board instituted a new line, known as the VIP line. Each member of the Orange Krush is assigned one game a season in which they are a "VIP." This system was adopted to ensure that every member be given an opportunity to have floor seats for at least one home game. The VIP line enters after a certain number of All-Americans have entered, so the VIPs fill the last remaining floor seats. That is, if there are 100 people in the VIP line, the first 550 All-Americans will be admitted first, followed by the VIP line to fill the 650 total floor seats.
In 2005, the Orange Krush Foundation presented the Jimmy V Foundation with a check for $50,000. The money represented the one-millionth dollar donated in the Foundation's eight-year existence.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
. In its current form, the Organization has two faces. First, the Orange Krush is the student cheering section for the University of Illinois men's basketball team
Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball
The Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big Ten Conference. Home games are played at Assembly Hall, located on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's campus in Champaign....
. Second, the Orange Krush exists as a charitable organization known as the Orange Krush Foundation.
The name Orange Krush is a pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
of the soft drink
Soft drink
A soft drink is a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water , a sweetener, and a flavoring agent...
Orange Crush
Orange Crush
Crush is a carbonated soft drink brand, originally marketed as an orange soda, which was invented by California beverage and extract chemist Neil C. Ward. Most flavors of Crush are caffeine-free.-History:...
.
Membership
Membership in the Orange Krush is open to any student who is a member of Illini Pride, the school-wide student athletic boosters. Prospective members collect donations in the form of flat pledges, and also in the form of a 3-point shot system. For example, if a donor donates $.10 per 3-pointer, the donor agrees to pay a dime for every 3-point shot made by the Illini throughout the season, from the first exhibition game, through the Big TenBig Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
and NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
tournaments.
Different levels of Orange Krush membership exist based on the amount of pledge money raised. A member must raise a minimum of $1.50 per 3-point shot to qualify for membership. These members are known as varsity members. Orange Krush members having raised more than $3.00 per shot become All-American members, the top-tier members. A third level exists for first-year students, known as the Scout level, in which a member must only raise $1.00 per 3-pointer.
In 2006, the Orange Krush was named by Sports Illustrated as the second best student section in the country, behind only Duke.
In years past, the Orange Krush posed as a youth group from Chicago for an away Michigan game and as a group of alumni from Penn State for a game at Penn State. Signing up for campus tours and taking pictures with the coaches, the Orange Krush members didn't reveal their identity until seconds before tip-off.
Game Day procedures
Seating for Orange Krush members includes approximately 650 floor seats, and approximately 600 Upper Deck seats. All seats are distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis, with All-American members being admitted first, then followed by Varsity and Scout members. To gain entry to a game, a member must wait in line outside Assembly HallAssembly Hall (Champaign)
Assembly Hall is a large dome-shaped indoor arena, located in Champaign, Illinois, and is part of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign....
prior to doors opening. Because of the desire to gain front row seats, the first All-American members often arrive several hours early. The first All-American members arrived in line outside Assembly Hall 40 hours prior to tip-off for the Fighting Illini
Illinois Fighting Illini
The Fighting Illini are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The University offers 10 men's and 11 women's varsity sports....
's meeting with the Wake Forest
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
Demon Deacons on December 5, 2004 as part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. After everyone is seated, then the theme song of Orange Krush, which changes year to year, is played.
| Year | Song Artist | Song Title |
|---|---|---|
| 2004–2005 | Zombie Nation Zombie Nation (band) Zombie Nation is a German techno and electro project of the Munich based DJ and producer Florian Senfter.-History:The first Zombie Nation five track EP was released in the spring of 1999 on DJ Hell's label, International DeeJay Gigolo Records... |
Kernkraft 400 Kernkraft 400 "Kernkraft 400" is a song performed by German techno and electro artist Zombie Nation and the first single from their album Leichenschmaus. The first Zombie Nation record contained the song "Kernkraft 400", German for "Nuclear Energy 400", which is a remix of a tune from the 1984 Commodore 64 game... |
| 2005–2006 | Nelly Nelly Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album... |
Heart of a Champion |
| 2006–2007 | Young Joc | It's Goin' Down |
| 2007–2008 | DJ Khaled DJ Khaled Khaled bin Abdul Khaled , better known by his stage name DJ Khaled, is an American record producer, radio personality, DJ, and record label executive. He is a radio host for the Miami-based urban music radio station WEDR and the DJ for the hip hop group Terror Squad. In 2006, Khaled released his... feat. Akon Akon Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first... , T.I. T.I. Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. , better known by his stage name T.I., is an American rap artist, film and music producer, actor and author. He is also the founder and co-chief executive officer of Grand Hustle Records.... , Rick Ross, Fat Joe, Birdman & Lil Wayne |
We Takin' Over We Takin' Over "We Takin' Over" is the first single from DJ Khaled's second album, We the Best. T.I., Rick Ross, Fat Joe, Birdman, Lil Wayne and Akon are all featured on this track. The song, produced by Danja, was released through the iTunes Store on March 27, 2007 and debuted at number 51 on Billboards Hot... |
| 2008–2009 | Kevin Rudolf Kevin Rudolf Kevin Rudolf is an American singer-songwriter and record producer signed to Cash Money Records. Rudolf is mostly known for singing and producing rock/pop music... feat. Lil Wayne Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included... /Zombie Nation Zombie Nation (band) Zombie Nation is a German techno and electro project of the Munich based DJ and producer Florian Senfter.-History:The first Zombie Nation five track EP was released in the spring of 1999 on DJ Hell's label, International DeeJay Gigolo Records... |
Let It Rock Let It Rock (Kevin Rudolf song) "Let It Rock" is the debut single of Kevin Rudolf from his debut album In the City. It features rapper Lil Wayne. The track was produced and written by Rudolf.... /Kernkraft 400 (custom mix) |
| 2009–2010 | Fabolous Fabolous John David Jackson , better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper of African American and Dominican descent. He grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Part of his early popularity arose from his hit single "Can't Deny It" in 2001, from his debut... feat. Jeremih Jeremih Jeremiah Felton who performs under the mononym Jeremih , is an American recording artist and producer signed to Def Jam Recordings. Jeremih's debut single, "Birthday Sex" , peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100... /Zombie Nation Zombie Nation (band) Zombie Nation is a German techno and electro project of the Munich based DJ and producer Florian Senfter.-History:The first Zombie Nation five track EP was released in the spring of 1999 on DJ Hell's label, International DeeJay Gigolo Records... |
My Time (Fabolous song) My Time (Fabolous song) "My Time" is the second single from Fabolous' album Loso's Way. The song features Jeremih, who also co-wrote the track with Fabolous. Jeremih uses the Auto-Tune effect in the song. The song "Money Goes, Honey Stay" featuring Jay-Z is featured as a B-Side for this single.-Music video:The video for... /Kernkraft 400 (custom mix) |
| 2010–2011 | DJ Khaled DJ Khaled Khaled bin Abdul Khaled , better known by his stage name DJ Khaled, is an American record producer, radio personality, DJ, and record label executive. He is a radio host for the Miami-based urban music radio station WEDR and the DJ for the hip hop group Terror Squad. In 2006, Khaled released his... feat. Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross, & T-Pain/Zombie Nation Zombie Nation (band) Zombie Nation is a German techno and electro project of the Munich based DJ and producer Florian Senfter.-History:The first Zombie Nation five track EP was released in the spring of 1999 on DJ Hell's label, International DeeJay Gigolo Records... |
All I Do is Win All I Do Is Win "All I Do Is Win" is the second official single from DJ Khaled’s fourth studio album Victory. The track features artists T-Pain, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg and Rick Ross. It was released on February 8, 2010, along with "Put Your Hands Up". The single was certified Double Platinum by the RIAA. It is the... /Kernkraft 400 (custom mix) |
To ensure that members are staying in line during these long waits, a series of "line-checks" are performed randomly by the Orange Krush administration. Each member, upon entering the line, is issued a numbered card indicating their place in line, and if they are absent for a line check, that member is considered out of line, and must go to the end of the line.
For the 2005-06 season, with Orange Krush membership swelling to more than 1,200 students (more than double the membership from the 2003-04 season), the Orange Krush Board instituted a new line, known as the VIP line. Each member of the Orange Krush is assigned one game a season in which they are a "VIP." This system was adopted to ensure that every member be given an opportunity to have floor seats for at least one home game. The VIP line enters after a certain number of All-Americans have entered, so the VIPs fill the last remaining floor seats. That is, if there are 100 people in the VIP line, the first 550 All-Americans will be admitted first, followed by the VIP line to fill the 650 total floor seats.
The Orange Krush Foundation
Established in 1998, the Foundation is the charitable side of the Orange Krush organization. One half of all money raised from the pledge program, minus the cost of tickets for each member and any costs incurred in a roadtrip to another Big Ten school, is then donated to various charities in the Champaign-Urbana area. The other half goes to the DIA (Division of Intercollegiate Athletics) to fund various athletic scholarships, including the Matt Heldman and Rod Cardinal Scholarship.In 2005, the Orange Krush Foundation presented the Jimmy V Foundation with a check for $50,000. The money represented the one-millionth dollar donated in the Foundation's eight-year existence.