The university of Illinois is showing its commitment to improving the long-term future of its football program with a $132 million stadium renovation project for Memorial Stadium. The plans for Memorial Stadium include updating and modifying the south and east sides of the stadium to allow for updated football facilities including training rooms, locker rooms, sports medicine facilities and more. The renovation plans still need to be approved by the university’s board of trustees in the spring.
“Following Coach (Lovie) Smith’s arrival, this project is the necessary next step to building a sustainable, championship-caliber football program,” Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman said in a released statement. “This is an investment in our student-athletes, both present and future, to ensure that they have the resources needed to compete at the highest level. Such a commitment is required if we are to win consistently in the Big Ten and on the national stage. This is the first in a series of facility projects that will ultimately position all Illinois student-athletes for enduring success.”
No architect to complete the job has been selected at this time, but the school shared its vision for an updated Memorial Stadium today regardless.
Selecting an architect now, but these early renderings give you a flavor. Big plans = big future. Learn more: https://t.co/ccLXBOeRJu pic.twitter.com/5Xyj2enwSO
— Josh Whitman (@IlliniAD) October 3, 2016
Memorial Stadium has actually been under slight renovations since 2005, but this is the next big step forward for the program and university with interest in the program at the highest it has been in years following the hiring of Lovie Smith as head coach.
If all goes according to plan for Illinois, the project is targeted to be completed in two phases, with the south end zone portion of the work being completed prior to the 2019 season and the work on the east side of the stadium slated to be done before the first kickoff of the 2020 season. Funding is proposed to be drawn from the athletic department’s general funds and any private gifts.