What's Happening in Champaign, IL…

Gameday Spirit, which has operated in Campustown near the University of Illinois in Champaign, is returning to the neighborhood.

The store, which sells items supporting the Fighting Illini—products with the university's teams' logos on them—has a new owner, and will soon open in a new site located on South Neil Street.

The new owner is Ryan Majeres, who has been president of Collegiate Marketing, based in Champaign, for 10 years. Collegiate Marketing is the parent company of Bedloft.com, which supplies furnishings to college students on approximately 70 campuses. Gameday Spirit will now also operate as part of Collegiate Marketing.

Majeres says that he likes the company's business model, and sees the new store as a way to expand Collegiate's presence within the University of Illinois community. He adds that he enjoys the business, particularly as he is an alumnus of the university, and a fan of Illini sports.

Gameday Spirit's new location is in Champaign, at Green and Sixth streets in the Bankier building. It celebrated its grand opening on September 28. There is a second Gameday location on North Prospect Avenue, which Majeres plans to move to the Bella building on Neil Street. He hopes to be in the new space by November, in time for the holidays.

Businesspeople like Majeres can work with a banner printing company to create an item to promote new openings.