Illinois fires shot at Northwestern with Soldier Field deal

Illinois is doubling down on the Chicago market.

The university announced Monday that it signed an agreement to play three football games at Soldier Field. The Illini will play home games against Northwestern this year (Nov. 28), in 2017 and in 2019 at the famed stadium.

The move is a bold one by Illinois, which is looking to stake its claim to the Chicago market. The Wildcats long have promoted themselves as ‘‘Chicago’s Big Ten team,’’ though the crowds at games between the teams in the Chicago area seem to go against that notion.

By moving the three games to Soldier Field, Illinois will be relying heavily on its Chicago alumni base to fill the stadium. The university doesn’t seem to have much to lose, given that it has seen home attendance dwindle in recent seasons.

As is the case with nearly every sports move schools are making these days, the Illini are trying to make a statement to prospective recruits.

‘‘It’s exciting to seize the opportunity to further engage our incredible number of Illinois alumni and fans in the Chicagoland area with these three football games coming to Soldier Field,’’ athletic director Mike Thomas said in a statement. ‘‘As the flagship university in the state, we are committed to all Fighting Illini, and, as part of that mindset, we will continue to bring a variety of athletics events to Chicago, where we have the largest alumni base of any Big Ten institution.’’