
STEVENS COLUMN: Has Illini Athletics Found Its Billionaire Partner in Larry Gies?
The $100 million gift to University of Illinois athletics from Larry Gies announced Tuesday should not be overlooked. However, the bigger picture of having Gies in the mix could a game-changer.
By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst
September 10, 2025
(Cover photo courtesy University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — I need to ask Larry Gies, Josh Whitman and everybody else involved in Gies’ historic nine-figure donation to University of Illinois athletics for forgiveness. Because the absolute last thing I want to do is downplay or minimize the singular importance of a $100 million gift.
However, Whitman, who is in his 10th year as the athletics director at Illinois, elected to tell the story of what he believes was the genesis of Gies’ further generosity.
While sitting in an office with Whitman and Illini athletics exceutive Howard Milton, Gies had a challenge for those two men and everybody inside the Illinois athletics department to “think big”.
“He said he wanted us to take advantage of our most compelling opportunities,” Whitman said on Tuesday in the media conference inside what is now titled Gies Memorial Stadium. “He wanted to know where he could fit to help us accelerate this program in the most important and impactful way.”