The 1963 Illinois Fighting Illini football team was an American football team that represented the University of Illinois as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1963 Big Ten season. In their fourth year under head coach Pete Elliott, the Fighting Illini compiled an 8âÂÂ1âÂÂ1 record (5âÂÂ1âÂÂ1 in conference games), won the Big Ten championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 153 to 89. They concluded the season with a 17âÂÂ7 victory over Washington in the 1964 Rose Bowl. The Illini's sole loss was a 14-8 defeat against Michigan. They were ranked No. 3 in the final AP poll.
Illinois center and linebacker Dick Butkus was selected as the team's most valuable player, won the 1963 Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the Big Ten's most valuable player, and was honored as a unanimous first-team player on the 1963 All-America team. Tackle Archie Sutton was selected by the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) as a second-team All-American.
The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Mike Taliaferro (434 passing yards, 41.8% completion percentage), fullback Jim Grabowski (491 rushing yards, 4.2 yards per carry), and wide receiver Bill Pasko (131 receiving yards).
The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois.