The UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS CHICAGO stands alone as Chicago's largest institution and only public research university.
The 50,000 members of our campus community and our 300,000 living alumni embody the pride and spirit of our great city.
We are and will always remain, FOR CHICAGO.
THIS IS FLAMES ATHLETICS
18 Sports
85 COACHES & STAFF
300 STUDENT-ATHLETES
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
The Flames 300 student-athletes have achieved a 3.0+ GPA for 18 consecutive semesters. Nearly half earned Dean's List honors last semester.
The Flames posted an outstanding 93% Graduation Rate last year, while Women's Tennis program was 1 of 8 UIC teams to record a perfect 100%.
COMPETITIVE EXCELLENCE
UIC has been a competitive force, capturing 75 conference titles and earning 47 NCAA appearances.
Flames Women's Tennis has captured 19 Conference Championships and made 17 NCAA Tournament appearances.
Student-athlete commitment
UIC Athletics has invested heavily in student-athlete welfare over the past three years.
- The Flames Leadership Institute was launched in Fall 2020 to provide comprehensive programming in leadership, career development, personal development, equity and inclusion, and service to the campus and Chicago communities.
- Flames Unite was created in Spring 2021 as an umbrella for Athletics' DEI efforts and resources.
- UIC Athletics established a multi-year partnership with Millennium Counseling that has significantly expanded student-athlete access to mental wellness resources.
- The Flames have department-wide partnerships with Adidas, Teamworks, and INFLCR.
UIC ATHLETICS FACILITIES
XS TENNIS VILLAGE
XS Tennis Village is the primary home of Flames Tennis and is conveniently located 6 miles south of UIC's campus, a 10-15 minute drive from the Flames Athletic Center
The $16.9 million, 116,000 square foot facility opened in 2018 and features 29 courts -- 12 indoor courts, 13 outdoor courts, and 4 outdoor clay courts, plus a running track and fitness center.
XS Tennis has hosted a number of major collegiate and professional events, including the 2020 ITA Women's National Indoor Championship, the 2018 Oracle Challenger Series, and World TeamTennis between the Philadelphia Freedoms and the Washington Kastles, in which Taylor Townsend and US Open champion Sloane Stephens played.
FLAMES OUTDOOR TENNIS COURTS
The UIC Athletics Outdoor Sports Complex features 6 outdoor courts for on-campus training and competition.
FLAMES ATHLETIC CENTER
The Flames Athletic Center (FAC) is the central hub of UIC Athletics. The 50,000-square foot venue houses the basketball practice facility; strength and conditioning; athletic medicine; an orthopedic clinic operated by the Flames head team physician; men's and women's basketball team spaces; and athletics administrative offices.
CREDIT UNION 1 ARENA
FLAMES SOCCER stadium
GRANDERSON baseball STADIUM
FLAMES SOFTBALL FIELD
INDOOR PRACTICE FACILITY
Harborside International Golf Center
flames natatorium
James Stukel Towers
flames athletics campus
FIRE UP THE VALLEY
Following its 40th year of Division I competition, UIC became the 12th member of the Missouri Valley Conference on July 1, 2022.
The Missouri Valley Conference is the nation's second-oldest NCAA Division I conference, now in its 117th season in 2023-24. The MVC is headquartered in St. Louis, a city that has hosted The State Farm MVC Men's Basketball Championship (known as Arch Madness) for more than 30 consecutive years.
MARKETING & BRANDING
The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 left four square miles of the Windy City in ruins. But Chicagoans rebuilt and the city reemerged as a cultural and economic hub.
We are the UIC Flames, named in reference to the Great Chicago Fire as well as the progress, transformation, innovation, and resurgence that came afterwards.
Logos
Colors
The primary school colors are Fire Engine Red and Navy Pier Blue, the latter a nod to UIC's roots on Chicago's iconic Navy Pier at Lake Michigan. Chicago Blue and Red Stars from the city's iconic and beloved flag are routinely incorporated into Flames branding and uniforms.
A world of opportunity
UIC student-athletes have the advantage of the nation's third-largest media market, the ESPN media platform, and direct access to Fortune 500 companies spanning numerous industries.
SOCIAL promotion
UIC provides enhanced social media promotion through all major channels with digital and analytical strategies.
SCHOOL SPIRIT
Born from the embers of the Great Chicago Fire, Sparky's Fire Engine Red fur, Navy Pier Blue head spikes, Champions Gold tail flame, Chicago Blue accents, and custom skyline sneakers fully embody the spirit, passion and grit of the UIC Flames and his hometown of Chicago.
UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP
Chancellor marie lynn miranda
Dr. Marie Lynn Miranda became UIC's 10th Chancellor in July 2023, after serving as provost at both Notre Dame and Rice University, and in leadership roles at the University of Michigan and Duke University.
She is a Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of Duke University, where she earned her BA in mathematics and economics, was named a Truman Scholar, and served as a basketball manager for hall of fame coach Mike Krzyzewski. She has a PhD and MA from Harvard University, where she held a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.
Dr. Miranda and her husband, Chris Geron, have three adult children, Mariel Geron, Thompson Geron, and Viviana Geron, as well as two English setters and several hundred thousand honeybees that they raise on a family farm.
As UIC’s chancellor, Dr. Miranda heads Chicago’s largest university campus, with more than 34,000 students. The university, which holds the distinguished R1 research status in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, ranks among the top 65 out of more than 650 national universities in federal research funding. UIC also boasts one of the nation’s largest medical schools and Chicago’s first and only public law school.
Director of Athletics Michael Lipitz
Lipitz joined UIC in October 2019 with two decades of leadership experience in the Atlantic Coast Conference at NC State University and the University of Maryland, where he helped engineer dramatic improvements in both academic and competitive results.
Through his first three years at the helm, the Flames have set program records in the classroom, in competition, and in the community. Lipitz also successfully spearheaded UIC's move to the Missouri Valley Conference beginning with the 2022-23 academic year.
A former ACC student-athlete, he captained the men's tennis team at the University of Maryland. Michael and his wife, Kerry, have two boys, Henry and Charlie, and a dog, River.
WHY UIC?
The University of Illinois Chicago
UIC's campus occupies 244 acres in the heart of Chicago. The university features 16 colleges and 100+ majors for its 34,000 students.
UIC ranked No. 22 among 340 U.S. public universities in the 2021 Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education rankings, which also rated UIC among the Top 10 in “Best Value” nationally.
A designated Minority Serving Institution (MSI) and Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), UIC is routinely recognized among the nation's most ethnically and culturally diverse campuses.
UIC has more than 300,000 living alumni, an astounding 80% of whom live in Chicagoland.
UIC: From Pier to Present
WHY CHICAGO?
THE Windy City
The Second City
the CITY OF BIG SHOULDERS
Whatever you call her, Chicago is a city unlike any other. We’ve got the architectural marvels, world-class museums, dynamic entertainment, and award-winning dining scene you’d expect from one of the world’s greatest cities.
But we’re more than just another big city — our welcoming residents, 77 distinct neighborhoods, and Midwestern soul truly make Chicago the city that feels like home.