CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Sept. 27th, 1980, almost 45 years ago.
He still remembers the first time he ever set foot in Memorial Stadium, as a young, eager child. Back then, he’d sit up in the bleachers.
His dreams of playing college football were crushed in his high school days when he was cut from his varsity team, but even then, young Larry Gies was bullish on being an athlete; he went on to wrestle in high school.
When he arrived at the University of Illinois as a student, Larry would try out for the wrestling
team. And for a while, he clung to his dreams of competing in the Big Ten until those dreams were no longer tenable in the eyes of the powers that be.
Little did Larry know that one day he would grace Zuppke Field as a captain for the football team; it would just be more than four decades later, under historic and monumental circumstances as an honorary captain with an Illinois football program that holds meteoric expectations.
The donor? Larry Geis, now a philanthropist and founder of Madison Industries, an uber-successful privately owned company with a focus on acquiring existing companies and expanding them.
Despite spearheading that massive operation, Gies is as eager and energetic as ever.
“This is a gift that’s been many years in the making,” said Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman. “There have been a lot of people who have been involved in building this relationship.”
In exchange, the Gies name will now be displayed in front of Memorial Stadium, now known as Gies Memorial Stadium, as a way to honor his late father, Larry Gies Sr., who served in the Army.
“There’s an emotion that comes over me, and I think it does have to do a lot with my family,” Gies said. “My first college football game [was here], and my father, but I also think it’s a lot about what this stadium represents.”
It isn’t the first time Gies has made a seismic donation to the university. In 2017, Gies donated $150 million to the College of Business. Since then, it’s been known as the Gies College of Business and is among the most competitive programs in the country.
Less than a year removed from its 100th year commemoration, Memorial Stadium now has a new name. There’s no question, there’s a hesitancy among long-time, and perhaps even younger, Illini faithful to accept the new name, but Gies gave 100 million reasons for the athletic department to accept.
“I don’t think it was necessarily my name that gave me emotion,” Gies said. “I just really get emotional whenever I walk onto that field, and I’ve had a lot of great memories here, and a lot of tears shed, happy tears. So I will probably continue to do that for the rest of my life.”
How will the university use the money?
The athletic department just received an absorptive cash infusion, which is pledged over the next several years.
Its primary usage will be to pay for the newest video board in the south endzone, new lights and a new sound system, as well as upgrades to stadium WiFi.
The goal is to maintain and enhance Gies Memorial Stadium.
“How do we take the stadium into the next 100 years and make sure that we build on the legacy, that we continue to honor the purpose of this building?” Whitman asked. “We knew we had someone who would share our appreciation for the building and our commitment to its continued mission of longevity.”
The Illinois brass said they’ve engaged with an architecture firm to make additions to the nearly 102-year-old building. They will make renovations to the south tunnel, but a change to the horseshoe is unlikely based on the messaging from Whitman.
“Every idea is on the table,” Whitman said. “When it comes to the south specifically, we have, over the last several years, made really substantial investments in the south horseshoe. We’ll see ultimately if we do some sort of dramatic renovation in the south.”
The program will also use the money to help aid the football program, which has seen a significant budget increase over the last six years. The door, however, remained open on the possibility of using the money for other avenues of Illinois athletics.
“If our needs evolve over time, I’m confident that he’ll be an active participant in those conversations,” Whitman added.
Despite all the possible changes coming over the next several years, Whitman made it clear the stadium will maintain its fundamental integrity.
“It was imperative to me that we protect and preserve the stadium, its mission, its history, its tradition, that I think is one of the biggest, most important responsibilities that I have as the athletic director here,” Whitman said. “Making sure that this building remains what it is and what it has been in the next 100 years is right near the top of that list.”
How did it happen?
The short answer: relationships.
It’s the common thread between business and college football. It’s also the foundation for nearly everything inside the walls of the Smith Center, from recruitment to retaining players and coaches year after year, and even to success on the field. And here the business of football has culminated in a historic gift.
Gies and Whitman first met in 2017. Initially, Gies says he was keen on offering support, but not financially.
Since then, Illinois sports have undergone a meteoric rise with the success of the men’s basketball team, the revival of the football program, the reinvigoration of the women’s basketball team, the meteoric rise of the track and field program, and even the recent record-breaking success of the soccer program.
“After seeing what he’s built and seeing the type of human he is, getting to know him, it became super obvious to me that I want to be a part of this team,” Gies said.
In 2021, Illinois engaged in serious talks and began a professional relationship to catapult them into what culminated in the $100 million gift.
“Ever since then, we have been continuing to build trust and engaging in creative thinking and conversations with Larry, spending time together, constructing a vision for where we think this program can go,” Whitman said.
Whitman admits it took a village to build a relationship with Gies, with multiple members of the organization reaching out and Gies becoming a closer part of DIA over the course of the last four years.
“I invest in people, not things,” Gies said.
That’s the mantra Gies lives by.
Gies has chosen to invest at the University of Illinois, and the reason for that is deeply rooted in Josh Whitman, as well as the major players in the DIA.
“It’s crazy, right? To give $100 million, it’s an awesome thing in itself, but I have just been blown away by the things he gives personally,” said head coach Bret Bielema after Illinois’ win against Western Michigan. “His time, his mentorship with our players, his care, obviously, says a lot of great things about Josh. I don’t think that gift ever really happens without Josh’s relationship with Larry.”
Whitman’s key to gaining the favor and formulating a personal relationship with Gies is probably why he’s had success as an athletic director and likely why he’s had success retaining and recruiting good head coaches.
“Effective fundraising is about listening, not selling,” Whitman explained.
That’s why the two have connected so well over the last several years; both can relate to running major organizations.
“Josh may make a decision that’s tough, and maybe some people may even question it. He’s going to tell you why,” Gies said. “You understand it, and you can see his vision. And I buy into his vision. If I were lucky enough, he could run any one of my companies; he would do my job better than I do.
“He’s a natural-born leader.”
The notion of acquiring a gift as significant as this one would likely prove to be daunting for many organizations, but as their relationship grew, the task proved less challenging.
“If we were able to put a compelling vision in front of him of how he could be as impactful as possible, we felt like the money would follow,” Whitman said.
Since 2021, Gies has had a relationship with current Illinois linebacker Kenenna Odeluga, who graduated from the Gies College of Business, and has sat in on the meetings with the football team. He’s also had members of the football team intern for his companies in the past.
“I think what’s really great about a single donation is that many donations follow,” Gies said. “We can all model for others what a beautiful institution this is, and the impact on all the students.”
While Gies wants to honor his late father, there’s no question of the impact the money will have on the future of Illinois athletics. It could bring other alums into the fold and into the business of investing in the athletic program.
And he certainly hopes that others will follow suit.
“We’re making stuff possible for people and letting them change the trajectory of their lives and the trajectory of their family’s lives forever. And that’s a beautiful thing.”
