Over the last few years this podcast has become less relatable with more pessimism. The sky is always falling and they are never satisfied.

This podcast is hilarious. It's fun to listen to a grown man cry and throw a temper tantrum like a 4 year old.

Carp produces a great hour-ish sports talk type show. This is much better researched and even keeled than most. He also has some interesting tales

Mike speaks like a true Illini fan. Love listening to his pod on the way to and from work. Knowledgeable, well spoken and keeps it real. Keep doing what you do!

Mike is great. A real Illini fan with emotions who does a fantastic job of explaining what happened in a basketball or football game from a fans perspective. Download

With 247, Rivals, and now a 2.5 hour podcast, we Illini fans are spoiled with great content. If you’re looking for orange and blue diamond emojis and sunshine, this isn’t the show for you. Carp calls it as he sees it and isn’t afraid to call people out, while at the same time letting his Fanboy tendencies out when appropriate. Some people can’t handle this. But for me and many others, he is the voice of the realistic, but passionate Illini fan. Love the show.. can’t wait for Hoops season. See you in 244, Carp!

I thought I was the only one that thought this. It seems like since the rebranding the outerwear clothing has been primarily blue and less orange. Wonder why this is.

High quality - you can hear the talent in Carp, a long time radio guy. Much like Robert (@alioneye), if you're an Illini fan and are not leaning on Carp to help through the ups and downs, you're missing out. Get yourself some 200 Level. It makes being an Illini fan that much more enjoyable.

The best U of I classes graduated in the 00s. Carp, I love being able to relate to your perspective and nostalgia on Illini sports having graduated from U of I the same year as you. It’s incredibly refreshing after a long work day or when living across the country. However… Please Please Please leave out the politics. Many peers agree.

Carp, I’ve been a big fan of yours for years now. Things sure are heating up in Champaign with a premier top 10 basketball program with facilities being upgraded along with the fighting Berts.. he’s the guy we needed as a premier college coach. Give me 6-9 wins every year and the illlini will have won the roaring 20’s. Also live broadcasts are by far one of the more fun listens!

This is the best Illini fan podcast out there. There are some good ones that get down to the nitty gritty more but from the fan perspective this is the best one. I especially loved it during the Illini basketball run this past year.

I love this podcast. Mike is so real and honest with us and isn’t afraid to tell it like it is. I LOVE that he doesn’t sugar coat things and he reviews situations and games from many different perspectives. I’m a 23 year old woman and didn’t know much about basketball before this season. I decided to start paying attention and as an illini alum myself, this podcast made it so much easier to understand, to get excited about Illini basketball, to follow along, and to feel like I belonged in the Illini basketball fan base. I will forever be a fan of this podcast. Thank you Mike!

Make miss my years in Champaign

This podcast is great to listen on my daily commutes to D.C. Mike Carpenter provides the right balance of perspective on illini news and happenings. Thanks for the entertainment!!!

Hearing everyone’s reactions are amazing during 2nd half pods. I appreciate those live listens because I am equally as vocal and passionate when I watch (my wife could tell you). Great job guys

Really good listen. Appreciate you guys doing these.

I’m at a point in my life right now, where if it doesn’t involve Illini basketball I don’t wanna hear it. It’s March, we’re the #3 team in the nation and Mike gives me the stuff I want to mainline right into my carotid artery. Also, Mike has a good head on his shoulders and I refuse to listen to people I’d otherwise despise just because we share a passion for Illini athletics. So, Mike allows me to keep my moral compass pointed north whilst curing the itch for any and everything Illini. Knibb High Football Rules.

Hey as I’ve been saying I sync the podcast to my tv to rewatch the second half. Now my wife Deb wants to listen as well. She says wow these guys sound just like I do during a game. It’s call Illini Fandom just pure raw Emotion. Let’s take this season the distance.🔶🔷

The in game pods are a really fun listen. Hopefully you guys get to keep doing these into April!

I enjoy the broadcasts but good lord how hard is it for you guys to get together 5 minutes before broadcast and synch up your devices so you are all watching the broadcast at same time. Nothing more irritating then hearing Isaac react before Mike. Fix this and you get 5 stars.

I listen to a lot of Illini podcasts, but The 200 Level is always at the top of my list. It feels like hanging out with your best friend. They make crazy overstatements, are insanely emotional during scoring droughts, and make you listen to their band’s music, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love the breakdown of Xs and Os as much as stories of eating Monical’s with French dressing. Keep up the great work Mike.

It’s so fun listening to the second half podcast. Mike does a great job covering the Illini and his wife is named Kara so he has to be awesome! I’m a Kara who is married to a Mike. Go Illini!!

You can’t go wrong with this podcast. All things Illini. The second half coverage pods are great!

Love Carp and the boys for the pods. Definitely helps me get my Illini fix and get me excited for games

Added the 200 to the rotation after hearing Carp on with Illini Inquirer (also highly recommend). I'm outside IL so I'm always looking for good Illini sports talk and Carp fills that need. I haven't listened enough to hear his politics that others complain about.

I’ve liked what you’ve done in the past. Currently you need to get more positive. Move to Indiana or Michigan if you are going to be a fair weather fan. This is a solid basketball team. Toughest year in history. These guys need support build them up.

Love the podcast. I currently live in the Nashville TN area (most overrated place on earth), so there isn’t many B1G fans or Illinois fans I can share my excitement and frustrations with. It’s nice to listen to a podcast that is produced by someone who cares about Illinois sports. Keep up the good work 🟠ILL🔵

This podcast is a great listen for any Illini fan. It gives you a very relatable and even game time reaction to all Illini sports news. Also, it got me a $5 calzone. Like cmon that’s just amazing in itself.

I don’t read Loren Tate or The News-Gazette. I don’t read Asmussen. I didn’t read Tupper. I live in the Northeast. Mike Carpenter is basically my equivalent of a University of Illinois Sports columnist. His big-picture Illini commentary is usually spot-on. But even when I don’t agree one hundred percent, he explains his positions using logic and deductive reasoning to where his points are more than valid. Carp so often is representative of my Illini viewpoints that I try to listen to every podcast, and his tone and personality are that of the most seasoned radio professional. I highly recommend subscribing to The 200 Level podcast with Mike Carpenter.

I always know I can turn to The 200 Level for timely Illini information and discussions. Mike brings a fan’s perspective and can be a bit cynical but fair.

Carp does one of the best alone a podcast I’ve ever heard. I look forward to every episode. He tells it like it is with no BS. I really enjoy his straightforward, no sugarcoated approach. Some may give him grief for his consternation with the state of illini football, but I feel exactly as he does. Disappointed. And it’s good just to hear someone else report on it openly. Keep it up carp!

I don’t align with Carp’s political views. However, I wholeheartedly appreciate his well articulated observations and opinions of Illini sports. Carp doesn’t sugar coat anything. He calls a spade a spade regardless of who it may offend. I enjoy his raw emotion as a true Illini fan behind the mic. Well done, Carp...keep it real.

Carp has the freedom to dish out the well earned criticism to the football program. I often agree with his sports takes. However, he is the epitome of a sneering, woke liberal. There is zero nuance to his unfortunately many political takes. He is everything he claims to hate. And this comes from a moderate who never voted for Trump, but also doesn’t think he is the source of all the world’s ill. You know? Nuance.

Carp is intelligent and entertaining. He brings a “no BS” approach to illini sports analysis which is truly refreshing compared to his peers. 93.5 lost a great talent. Although I prefer the sports talk, I find that Carp’s commentary on social and political issues to be thoughtful, sincere and a net benefit to the communal dialogue.

I’m a fan of any sports show that can also hit on the important topics of the day. Carp is clearly an intelligent host that understands how sports fit into the bigger picture. To anyone that looking for a vanilla sports pod, look elsewhere. Keep up the good work Carp.

Started listening during basketball season and loved the live reaction podcasts. Since COVID hit, Carp has been a reasonable and interesting voice even without sports. I honestly think I wouldn’t be a subscriber without Carp’s perspective the last few months. Keep it up! (Take it easier on Lovie though)

Stay home, order food in, and stay off your podcast until you can live in this world. I’ll tune back when sports start and you able to get back to some entertaining content.

Carp *actually* criticizes DIA and Illinois athletics when it’s warranted. He’s totally cornered the market on it. And thank God.

Getting too political.

The only thing that Mike Carpenter loves more than standing on his soapbox and screaming at all us rubes about the many ways we have disappointed him is bloviating about non-sports topics. I was surprised that this wasn’t a daily podcast considering how much he loves the sound of his own voice.

Back in October I had to give this podcast a lower rating due to it being, IMHO, too negative. Now to be fair I need to update the rating to a enthusiastic Five Stars! Carp is really doing a fantastic job with this podcast! He likes to talk, but it’s clear he likes to think even more, and he has meaningful and insightful things to say. He has a great radio voice, it’s a pleasant listen. During this pandemic time, he’s gone far beyond just analysis of sports played and really delved into meaningful issues including racism. The one with Carey Davis in June deserves some sort of podcast “Emmy” for Carey and Carp. Keep it up Carp! MUCH APPRECIATE The work you put into these.

Absolutely love this podcast. Every time a new episode come out it gets me exercising (on the elliptical with my iPad blaring out the 200 level), so please help me stay as healthy as possible and keep churning out great content! (Yes, I realize that might sound selfish, but that’s where I’m at in this pandemic)

I was born in Urbana and graduated from Urbana High School in 1992 and the University off Illinois in 1996. I have lived in Minneapolis since 1998. I started listening to you on the Tay and Carp show to catch up on Illini sports. Most of the time I could relate with Tay a little more because he’s closer to my age and we have similar personalities. We also seem to be a little more optimistic when it comes to Illini sports even though we have no reason to be. However, I really appreciate the fact that you have taken the time to address the whole George Floyd situation. I live about 5 blocks from precinct 3 and I have taught in Minneapolis Public Schools for the last 20 years. These topics are not easy to talk about but you did a great job. Keep up the good work!

This is a great podcast when we stick with sports. I know there are no sports to talk about at this moment but I listen to this podcast to get away from covid, politics, and just all the crap in the world in general. Just listening to him talk I don’t agree with much of Carps politics but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy listening to the sports talk, in the end he has his opinions and I have mine, that doesn’t make him or me wrong just makes us different. The biggest thing for me at this point is if you can’t or don’t feel now is the time to talk sports then don’t make a podcast. But again that is my opinion I can choose not to listen.

Episodes have gotten way too long. Play by play is not good. Used to really enjoy the podcast. Please stick to sports.

Big fan of this podcast

the guys work well together. great illini content

Too many Ds and As and not enough Fs and Ss. Keep up the good work.

Carp and the guys do a great job of offering long range perspective every episode. It’s great, whatever.

This is a good podcast to commiserate after Illini losses and celebrate the rare big victories. Carp and company are fans but since they are current or former radio personalities they add a degree of professionalism that I appreciate.