217 Today: Collegiate esports programs grow across the country, including at Northern Illinois University

Friday, July 22, 2022

Today’s headlines:

• Illinois members of Congress were vocal supporters of the Right to Contraception Act, which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday.
• The Peoria-to-Chicago passenger rail route now has an initial price tag: $2.5 billion.
• The Champaign County Association of Realtors says home sales declined by nearly 16 percent from June of last year, according to the association’s monthly report released this week.
• Kids are back in the classroom at one Vermilion County school.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn more about what’s fueling the growth of collegiate esports programs at colleges like Northern Illinois University.

217 Today is produced by Sydney Wood. Reporting today contributed by Mawa Iqbal, Tim Shelley, Harrison Malkin, Tinisha Spain and Peter Medlin.