Top of the Morning, Jan. 28, 2024

Jan. 28—Sign up for our Top of the Morning newsletter here

Buz Bailey could sell his heirloom for a pretty penny but prefers to keep it in the family.

It's an unused ticket to the Memorial Stadium dedication game on Oct, 18, 1924, passed to him by his late father, Martin, part of a crowd of 67,886 that cheered Red Grange and the Illini on to victory over Michigan.

Martin Bailey was 15 at the time and accompanied his dad, also Martin and a state legislator, to the game. "My theory is that this ticket was a gift, possibly from a friend or associate, knowing that this game would be historic regardless of the outcome," Buz said. "By the time it was handed to me my father was near the end of his life. He had simply kept it in a desk drawer. At that time, I didn't know the right questions to ask about it."

Buz's dad was a fan of Grange's and had the chance to meet the legend at a campus watering hole. "He was being quizzed about how physical and rough it was during a game," Buz recalls. "He answered by lifting up his pants legs to point out the teeth marks on his lower legs."

At 76, Buz splits time between Urbana and Tucson, Ariz. A longtime UI administrator, he's unsure whether he'll attend this fall's Rededication Game against Michigan on Oct. 19 — when Grange's six-TD performance is celebrated.

"It's a great story to rehash over and over," he said. "A lot of the younger generation has never heard of Red Grange."

Have a story to share about Oct. 18, 1924? Email N-G VP/News Jim Rossow at

jrossow@news-gazette.