Illinois Basketball’s Wig Giveaway: A Fun Twist to Ignite Fan Energy
Illinois Basketball’s Wig Giveaway: A Fun Twist to Ignite Fan Energy
Illinois men’s basketball is turning heads — not just for its play on the court but for its off-court creativity. In an effort to boost crowd energy and celebrate one of the team’s unique personalities, the Fighting Illini are hosting a “Jake Davis Wig Giveaway” at their upcoming game against the Wisconsin Badgers. Fans, especially students, are buzzing about the fun and quirky promotion that coincides with one of the biggest stretch runs of the season for head coach Brad Underwood’s squad.
This isn’t your typical T-shirt or bobblehead night — it’s a wig giveaway inspired by a player’s distinctive hairstyle that’s quickly become a part of the team’s identity. Here’s a full look at what the giveaway is, how it came together, why it’s getting attention, and what it tells us about college basketball promotions in 2026.
What Is the Wig Giveaway?
The Jake Davis Wig Giveaway is exactly what it sounds like. For the first 800 students who arrive at the Illinois vs. Wisconsin men’s basketball game — scheduled for Tuesday at 7 p.m. CT at the State Farm Center — a free wig styled to mimic the flowing strawberry blonde hair of Illinois forward Jake Davis will be handed out.
Davis, a 6-foot-6 forward known more for his distinctive long locks than gaudy statistics this season, has become a cult favorite among fans and teammates alike. To capitalize on that personality and give students a reason to be loud and show school spirit, the athletic department snapped up the idea and turned it into an official giveaway.
Promotional giveaways like this aren’t new — Thomas More Stadium outs free T-shirts with ticket purchases, teams host bobblehead nights, and universities hold themed nights for fans — but a hair-inspired wig? That’s unique, memorable, and borderline irresistible for social media.
How It Began: Social Media and Coaches Get Involved
To promote the giveaway, Illinois released a humorous video featuring Head Coach Brad Underwood and guard Kylan Boswell both donning the wigs themselves. In the ~40-second clip, they lean into the silliness — with Boswell joking that the team needs “something to give us an edge heading down the stretch” of the season, and Underwood wearing the wig while intently watching a hoop game.
The video features Davis himself reading a book titled Performing Under Pressure, a nod to both the light-hearted nature of the promo and the more serious grind of keeping mentally sharp during the season’s final push.
From a marketing standpoint, this kind of self-aware, humorous content has two major benefits:
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It encourages attendance — especially from the student section where grabbing the free wig requires early arrival.
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It highlights team personality — building a stronger bond between players and fans.
Underwood, known for being a coach who doesn’t shy away from quirky promotions (just think “orange out” nights and special theme games), clearly views this as a way to differentiate the Fighting Illini experience from every other Big Ten arena.
Who Is Jake Davis and Why a Wig?
Jake Davis isn’t the Illini’s leading scorer or primary star — he’s averaged modest numbers this season: around 5.3 points and 1.9 rebounds per game and has started in a handful of contests. But what he has that separates him from teammates is character and presence — largely symbolized by his long, flowing strawberry blonde hair.
That hair has become part of his public identity, with fans and teammates alike referring to it and laughing about it in social posts and locker room chatter. So when the idea of a giveaway came up, it made sense to make Davis literally the face — or rather, the hair — of it.
Turning a player’s physical trademark into a fan giveaway taps into something all schools want in college basketball: culture and spirit. Whether it’s a nod to Davis’ playful personality or just a clever way to bring more orange and blue energy into the arena, the wig giveaway accomplishes something few promotions do — it feels organic to the team and the fan base.
Why Promotions Like This Matter
Giveaways are a staple of college sports — Texas Tech gives out Cowboy hats, Michigan hands out maize T-shirts, Kentucky offers sticker packs — all to get seats filled and improve home-court advantage. Illinois does plenty of promotions throughout the year: earlier this season, students received orange T-shirts, fanny packs, and promotional items at other games.
But the wig giveaway stands out because:
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It’s personal: Players often have fan followings, but few have turned their look into a stadium giveaway.
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It’s humorous: By leaning into fun, Illinois shows it doesn’t take itself too seriously — something that resonates with younger fans.
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It creates a spectacle: Wigs in the student section — especially ones resembling one player — will generate social media content, chants, photos, and buzz.
In the social media era, these moments can go viral, giving the program free publicity and helping with recruiting. Most recruits today aren’t just picking schools based on wins and losses — they’re looking at fan culture, energy, and how much they’ll enjoy playing in front of crowds that care. A gimmick like a wig night sends a message: Illinois basketball is fun and the fan base is lively.
Fan Reaction: Excitement on Social Platforms
Within hours of the video dropping, fans began chiming in online. Students on message boards and social channels started planning how to style their wigs, whether to wear them all night, and how to use them in chants. Some joked about starting an “Illini hair wave,” while others noted how this was exactly the kind of creative twist college basketball promotions need in 2026.
Longtime season ticket holders also saw it as part of the growing tradition of unique Illinois promos — from retro nights to “orange outs.” It connects students, alumni, and local fans around something simple and ridiculous, but ultimately unifying.
Some analysts have also pointed out that these kinds of promotions help bridge the gap between the team and casual fans; someone might pick a game to attend just for the giveaway, then become a future regular attendee. That’s a win for a program hoping to fill the State Farm Center with consistent energy.
The Game Context: A Big Stretch Game Against Wisconsin
The wig giveaway isn’t random — it’s tied to one of the more important home games of the Illinois schedule this season. Facing the Wisconsin Badgers, a Big Ten rival, during the middle of the conference slate makes attendance and fan enthusiasm even more important. More bodies in the seats on a key night can literally swing momentum on the court.
And with the Fighting Illini trying to strengthen their position in the Big Ten standings and secure a better seed for postseason play, harnessing student energy is crucial. Light-hearted promotions help fill stands early and keep the counter-pressure on visiting teams.
Looking Back: Promotions Past and Present
Illinois has a history of creative promotions:
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Earlier this season, the first 1,000 fans at a game received Tomato-orange shirts as part of a “Hail to the Orange Out.”
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Other games have featured theme nights, freebies like T-shirts or fanny packs, and ticket deals for youth or special groups.
The wig giveaway takes that further. It’s not just a shirt or a freebie with an athletic logo — it’s an homage to a player’s personality and something fans can wear like a badge of loyalty.
From a marketing perspective, this encourages:
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Brand engagement: Fans are more likely to take pictures, make content, and show their support.
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Community-building: Students and alumni alike get talking points that tie them closer to the program.
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Game-day lore: Someday people will remember the game with the Wig Giveaway, just like fans today talk about other memorable promo nights.
What It Says About Modern College Basketball Culture
We’re living in a time when sports, social media, and entertainment are completely intertwined. Fans want experiences that feel personal and shareable. A giveaway that looks a little silly but is tied to a player’s distinct trait checks all those boxes.
It also signals that college programs are increasingly willing to let personality shine — not just on the court, but across how teams present themselves. Instead of cookie-cutter giveaways, schools are finding ways to reflect their roster, personalities, and culture in a way that feels authentic.
For Illinois, that authenticity is about blending hard-nosed basketball with Midwest charm and humor, something that resonates with both local fans and the national college basketball community.
Final Thoughts: Beyond the Wigs
At its heart, the Jake Davis Wig Giveaway is about celebration and engagement — celebrating a player’s personality, engaging students in the game environment, and building lasting fan memories. Whether or not you’re an Illinois fan, it’s an example of how small moments and creative promotions add texture to a college basketball season.
More importantly, it reminds us that while basketball is about competition and wins and losses, it’s also about fun, community, and shared experience — things that can start with something as simple (and delightful) as a wig.
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