The Drive on ESPN 93.5

10/15/26 Hour 2: Sunny Verma on Illinois Football & Michael Clayton, Tristan Thomas on Illini Basketball, High School Football & Lovie Smith's Viral Video; Friday Toasts on a Thursday

On this hour of The Drive, Sunny Verma joins us to break down Illinois Fighting Illini football, including the team's struggles, the outlook for the rest of the season, a

10/15/26 Hour 1: Zain Bando talks Illini Football At 3-3, Are Expectations Too High for Illinois Basketball, and more; College Playoffs Expanding to 24 Teams; Etched in Stone

Kurtis and Evan are joined by Zain Bando to break down Illinois football's 3-3 start, evaluate whether expectations are too high for Brad Underwood and the Illini basketb

10/14/26 Hour 2: Brad Underwood Named Among College Basketball’s Most Hated Coaches? Bill Speros Interview & Best Backup QB Draft

RotoWire lists Illinois basketball head coach Brad Underwood among the most hated coaches in the country. We discuss the list, the reaction, and what it means for Illini

10/14/26 Hour 1: Mike Cagley from IlliniGuys Reacts To Illinois QB Katin Houser's Injury Update, Michael Clayton Takes Over At QB; Evan’s NFL Top 5/Bottom 5

Mike Cagley from IlliniGuys joins The Drive to break down Katin Houser’s injury and what it means for the Illinois Fighting Illini football team moving forward. With true

10/13/26 Hour 2: Brian Teague on Bears Trade Deadline Moves, Montez Sweat’s Suspension, Caleb Williams & Illini vs. MSU; Tuesday Draft: Best Backup QBs Ever

Brian Teague from Chicago State of Mind Sports joins The Drive to break down the latest Chicago Bears storylines, including Montez Sweat’s suspension, whether the Bears s

10/13/26 Hour 1: Illini Football & Basketball Headlines, Michael Clayton II’s Future at QB & Coop Goes to Olivia Rodrigo

The Drive kicks off with the latest Illinois Fighting Illini headlines, covering the biggest news in football and basketball. With Michael Clayton II stepping up in Illin

10/12/26 Hour 2: Packers Crush Bears in Green Bay, Mike Ditka’s Legacy & The Latest Illini Headlines | The Drive

The Packers dominate the Bears in Green Bay! The Drive breaks down Chicago’s tough loss to Green Bay, what went wrong for the Bears, and what the result means moving forw

10/12/26 Hour 1: The J Leman Hour: Illinois Beats Michigan State in OT, Katin Houser Out Indefinitely & Is Michael Clayton the Real Deal?

The J Leman Hour is back! Former Illinois All-American J Leman breaks down Illinois' overtime victory over Michigan State, the loss of quarterback Katin Houser for possib

10/09/26 Hour 2: Kyle Tausk on Illinois Basketball, Stefan Vaaks & Big Ten Media Day; Illini vs. MSU Predictions | Etched in Stone & Friday Toasts

Kyle Tausk of Illini Inquirer joins The Drive to break down Illinois basketball following Big Ten Media Day! Kurtis Allen and Evan Stone discuss Stefan Vaaks' role in the

10/09/26 Hour 1: Stevie Jay Honors Mike Ditka’s ESPN 93.5 Legacy + Carson Gourdie Previews Illinois vs. Michigan State

Stevie Jay reflects on Mike Ditka’s 20-plus-year history with ESPN 93.5 and honors the legendary Chicago Bears icon’s lasting connection to the station. Then, Carson Gour

10-8-26 Hour 2 - Evan talks to Brian Teague about Sox and Illini, Evan gets to talk about a forbidden topic...

In Hour 2 Evan not only gets to play the music he likes, but also gets to talk about the topics he likes.... Brian Teague from Chicago State of Mind Sports joins the show

10-8-26 Hour 1 - Evan Rides SOLO! Illinois vs MSU Preview

In Hour 1 Evan gets the play the music he likes as he breaks down the Illini travelling to East Lansing to take on Michigan State. How will the Illini D fare against an a

10/07/26 Hour 2: Big Ten Football Predictions, Early Illinois Basketball Talk & Parenting Advice

Evan and Coop look ahead to a huge Big Ten football slate, making their picks and predictions for Week 6—including Illinois’ critical road matchup with Michigan State. Bo

10/07/26 Hour 1: Illinois Football Talk, Fisher Head Coach Jeff Palmer Joins The Drive & Evan’s NFL Week 4 Top 5/Bottom 5

Evan and Coop dive into the state of Illinois football following the Illini’s disappointing 24-17 Homecoming loss to Purdue. Illinois is now 2-3 overall and 0-2 in Big Te

10/06/26 Hour 2: Darius Wabbington Picks Indiana, Lane Johnson Retires & Evan Gets Mad Over the Tuesday Draft

The Drive reacts to 5-star 2027 basketball recruit Darius Wabbington committing to Indiana over Illinois and Arizona, plus the stunning news that Eagles All-Pro offensive

10/06/26 Hour 1: Doug Bucshon on Illinois’ Purdue Loss, Michigan State Preview & Big Ten Media Days; Bears-Packers Flexed Out of Prime Time

Doug Bucshon from Orange & Blue News joins The Drive to break down Illinois’ frustrating 24-17 Homecoming loss to Purdue, what went wrong for the Illini, and where the pr

10/05/26 Hour 2: Bears Crush Jets, Gear Up for Packers Week; Illini Fans Sound Off After Purdue Loss

The Bears are rolling into Packers Week after a dominant 23-12 win over the Jets, improving to 3-1. Tyson Bagent threw for 268 yards while Kyle Monangai ran for 146 yards

10/05/26 Hour 1: The J Leman Hour — Illinois Falls to Purdue, Where Do the Illini Go From Here & Can the Defense Be Saved?

The J Leman Hour is here after a brutal Homecoming loss. Illinois falls to Purdue 24-17, dropping the Illini to 2-3 and 0-2 in Big Ten play. J Leman joins The Drive to b

10/02/26 Hour 2: Jimmy Sobeski Previews Illinois vs. Purdue; Etched in Stone & Score Predictions; Friday Toasts

The final Illinois vs. Purdue preview is here! Jimmy Sobeski returns to The Drive to break down Saturday’s Homecoming matchup, including the biggest keys, matchups to wat

10/02/26 Hour 1: 10/02/26 Hour 1: Sam King on Purdue vs. Illinois Homecoming; Are the Browns For Real?

Purdue perspective ahead of Illinois Homecoming! Sam King of the Journal & Courier joins The Drive to preview Saturday’s Cannon Trophy matchup, including the Boilermakers