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Come Fan with UsWednesday, July 1, 2026

Tim Beckman’s mom’s birthday was on a different day again this year

The Big Ten’s greatest tradition is Illinois coach Tim Beckman saying happy birthday to his mom on random days.

Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports

Illinois coach Tim Beckman ended his press conference by wishing his mom a happy birthday, which is sweet:

Just one problem, though: Beckman also wished his mom a happy birthday last year at Big Ten Media Days. Last year, Big Ten Media Days were held on July 24, whereas this year they were on July 28:

I wanted to make sure that everybody understands that my mother, my rock, it’s her birthday and I wanted to wish her a happy birthday.Two years ago, he opened his first ever Big Ten Media Days presser with a happy birthday wish on July 26:

Before I get started talking about football or Illini football, I’d like to do one thing. And that is today is my mother’s birthday. So I want to wish Pat Beckman a happy birthday. She’s driving up here and I can’t wait to see her for her birthday.Beckman also apparently wished his mom happy birthday Sunday night at an Illinois alumni event in Chicago:

Look, we understand what's actually happening here: Tim Beckman's mom's birthday is sometime in late July, and since Tim Beckman gets the opportunity to speak on TV in late July, he always uses the opportunity to wish his mom happy birthday. It's a sweet tradition between a mother and a son.

However, we much prefer to believe that Tim Beckman is genuinely perplexed by the prospect of when his mother’s birthday is and just talk-yells HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM at random intervals to ensure he wishes his mom happy birthday on the right day.

We wish we could look forward to a long, productive future of Tim Beckman scattering his mom’s birthday around the end of July, but alas: Tim Beckman is 1-15 in Big Ten play with his only win against an 0-8 Purdue team, and his Fighting Illini finished dead last in 24/7’s 2014 recruiting rankings, so there’s a solid chance this was the last new random birth date for Mrs. Beckman.

We might never learn her actual birthday :( :( :(

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