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The state of Illinois is home to 13 schools that are part of Division I. However, only two of those schools are part of the four power conferences — Illinois and Northwestern of the Big Ten.
But even with that limited amount of representation at the top of college athletics, there is long list of some of the greatest names every to grace their respective sports.
That makes selecting this list of just 10 difficult. Chicago by itself is home to one of the country's hubs of elite basketball. Six members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame are connected to the University of Illinois; two played at Northwestern.
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Then, there are a long list of other athletes in the Olympic sports that are worthy of consideration.
The exercise was not easy, but here's what we came up with:
10 greatest college athletes from Illinois
Dick Butkus, Illinois
Before he became synonymous with the rough-and-tumble world of the NFL in the 1960s, Butkus was a standout center and linebacker for the Fighting Illini, leading the school to the Rose Bowl and placing sixth in the Heisman race during the 1963 season. He would better that his senior year with a third-place finish and earn another first-team All-America selection.
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Red Grange, Illinois
The Galloping Ghost was planning to compete in basketball and track when he enrolled at Illinois, but was convinced to join the school's football team. The rest is history as he became one of the first national stars on the college gridiron. Grange was a three-time consensus All-American. He helped the Fighting Illini to national title recognition in 1923. It was his junior season that brought him national attention, scoring four touchdowns in first 12 minutes in a defeat of Michigan, which held a 20-game winning streak at the time. He later appeared on the cover of Time magazine and became one of first stars of the NFL.
Mark Aguirre, DePaul
Aguirre was one of the best players in college basketball during his three-year college career. As a freshman, he was the leading scorer (24 points per game) on a team that reached the Final Four in 1979 before a loss to Larry Bird and Indiana State. Aguirre was a first-team All-American the next two years and player of the year as a sophomore. He finished with 2,182 points in 89 games before being selected No. 1 in the draft in 1981.
Lou Boudreau, Illinois
Boudreau was the captain of the baseball and basketball team that won Big Ten titles in 1937 and was an All-American in basketball in 1938. His college career was ended when he signed a professional contract with the Cleveland Indians, which was the start of a Hall of Fame career where he played 15 seasons and would manage the Indians to the World Series title in 1948.
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Dee Brown, Illinois
One of the all-time great men's basketball players in Fighting Illini history, Brown was a four-year starter at point guard and compiled 1,812 points and 674 assists. His best season game in 2004-05, when he was a first-team All-American while leading Illinois to the national championship game. Brown returned for his senior year and was a second-team All-American as he set a school record with 136 career starts and 179 points in the NCAA Tournament.
Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
Fitzgerald was the anchor of the Wildcats defense during their surprising 1990s emergence in the Big Ten. He was the conference's defensive player of the year and won the Nagurski and Bednarik award in 1995 when Northwestern played in the Rose Bowl. He repeated those accomplishments in his senior season as the Wildcats won nine games and reached another New Year's Day game at the Citrus Bowl.
Otto Graham, Northwestern
He made his name in football, but Graham started his college career playing basketball and baseball for the Wildcats and was an All-American in basketball. He took up football as a sophomore in 1941 and helped Northwestern finish No. 11 in the final poll of the season. Graham set a Big Ten passing record in 1943 and was third in the Heisman Trophy race as the Wildcats finished No. 9 in the country.
Izzy Scane, Northwestern
Originally a defender when she started her women's lacrosse career, Scane would move to offense and set the all-time Division I record for goals in (376) and points (483). Along the way she twice won the Tewaaraton Award, given to the nation's top player, as she led the Wildcats to national titles in 2022 and 2023.
Jay Berwanger, Chicago
The only college player from the state of Illinois to take home the Heisman Trophy was also the first player to take home the famed bronze statue: Berwanger was the initial winner of the award in 1935. He played halfback and linebacker for the Maroons and was Big Ten player of the year in his final season. Berwanger also competed in track at Chicago and held the school record for points in the decathlon until 2007.
Mary Eggers, Illinois
One of the great women's volleyball players in the 1980s, Eggers was a first-team All-American for three seasons while leading the Fighting Illini to the Final Four twice. She won the Honda Award given to the nation's top player as a senior and ranks fifth in school history in kills (1,774), second in aces (180) and first in hitting percentage (.421).
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USA250: 10 greatest college athletes from Illinois
