CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) - Since Josh Whitman was hired to be the University of Illinois' Director of Athletics in 2016, the program has taken large leaps in an effort to maintain its success.
In discussions held during his annual media roundtable, Whitman emphasized the importance of being "pleased" with results but not "satisfied". As the Illini athletic department chases down new goals, they also face new challenges.
It is expected that when the 2025 fiscal year ends for the University of Illinois, athletics will have generated around $190-million in revenue for the school. The amount would set a new record for the college for the third-consecutive year.
A large contributing element to their financial growth is the recent success of Illini teams. This past season, the football team tied the program record of 10 wins in a single season, winning the Citrus Bowl against South Carolina. The men's basketball team recorded its sixth straight season with 20 or more wins and, as recently as Wednesday night, saw two of its young stars be drafted into the NBA. Women's basketball equaled the school record of 21 wins in a season, including a first round victory in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2000.
As a result of their winning ways, Illini fans are buying in, both literally and figuratively. According to Whitman, the Illinois football program has registered the largest growth in attendance over a three-year period in all of college football. Men's hoops averaged an attendance of over 15,000 fans per game. The women's basketball program posted an average of nearly 5,000, a 300% increase since before Head Coach Shauna Green's arrival.
Whitman has made a point to reward the succeeding coaches in Illinois athletics and, in turn, the coaches are making their commitments to staying. Currently, 7 coaches in charge of Illinois programs have non-compete clauses in their contracts. Some of them are protected from Big Ten competition, others are protected from any other school for the duration of their deal.
The university is also making a concentrated effort to pay student athletes. In the wake of a federal lawsuit, players can now be payed by the school from an allotment of the annual revenue earned.
As Whitman explains, Illini athletics among other college programs, will have around $20.5-million of revenue which can be used to pay athletes. The school's intention is to use a 75-15-5-5 method for distribution (75% football, 15% men's basketball, 5% women's basketball, 5% volleyball). The decision can vary from program to program, but Whitman states that most universities will pay players from ticketed sports generating money for the athletics department.
Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals will continue to serve as a means for student-athletes to generate money for themselves, but such deals must be approved by the U-of-I.
Whitman shares that a set of rules and regulations are in place by the newly created College Sports Commission (CSC) and will handle governing schools and infractions much like a professional league. Their goal - fast investigations and steep penalties. Should a program breach revenue sharing regulations, the price will set a standard to curb such behavior.
The Illini Athletic Director says time and effort have created a system that everyone on the board believes in. "If we want it to work, it will work," Whitman said "If we don't take care of it, it will fail."
Large projects continue to be in the works for the Illini athletics program. One of the largest includes what Whitman coins as the "Stadium 4-pack". This includes upgrades to video, music, and in-game entertainment, as well as introducing in-stadium WiFi for fans for connectivity. Other beautification projects will aim to remove distracting elements around the State Farm Center in an effort to make the building more appealing externally.
Student-athletes at the U-of-I posted an average GPA of 3.53, with 142 competitors graduating this May. Moving forward, Whitman says the athletics department is renovating an area in the FICE student center which will create a centralized space for athletes to work separately from the space on campus.
As Illinois athletics continues set new expectations for their teams, the administration is doing its part to give Illini the necessary tools to succeed and reward the fans for their dedication.
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