By Sean McDevitt
FightingIllini.com

For many Division 1 athletic programs the summer months are a time to exhale and set the cruise control for a bit.

Not Illinois.

Athletic Director Josh Whitman presented updates on several initiatives and clearly the foot has not let up on the gas pedal. In a roundtable meeting with the media, he outlined developments with the Football Performance Center, the next steps to add hockey to the fold, and more.

Football: Trending Up

On Wednesday, new steel beams were being added to the $79.2 million Football Performance Center construction site.

Whitman said, "You can see that we now have some steel peeking up over the ground. It's amazing when you get to this point how quickly things start to take shape. We look forward to seeing that steel frame emerge."

Construction continues on pace and on budget for the new training facility. Brand new amenities to the performance center include a two-lane bowling alley and rooftop terrace. Whitman explained these changes were part of the "alternate" ideas and were available once bidding and actual construction started with no additional costs or changes to the final budget.

In addition, developments after the initial plans now include an expansion of the Irwin Indoor Football Practice Facility to the west adding more square footage for specialized offensive and defensive lineman drills and hitting tunnels for baseball and softball.

Whitman views the new facility as a transformative addition to a program looking to continue to build success.

Even though it is the third year under the leadership of Lovie Smith, Whitman anticipates seeing progress next season and already sees signs of what the future might be.

"We're not in a traditional third year of the program," Whitman said. "We will only be seeing Lovie's second recruiting class take the field this fall. Regardless, I'm excited about football.

"I really appreciate the heavy lifting, both literally and figuratively, with our football student athletes and staff. I think our new coaches and staff members have come on board and really embraced the Illinois identity and the opportunity we have here. Our student athletes now have two years in the system and you start to get that continuity. We are starting to see more wins on the recruiting path which I think bodes well for our future."

Hockey: "Increasingly Confident"

With the favorable feasibility study findings out in March and an Athletic Director who has championed the potential, Illinois is hoping to greenlight a new Division 1 hockey program at the end of the calendar year.

"I'm increasing confident in what this could look like," Whitman said. "We have to raise a lot of money, but there does seem to be growing interest everywhere I go. It seems the parties that need to be a part of this project are starting to line up and the opportunity exists for us to get this thing done."

Hockey is a big priority and the reasons are more holistic than just adding a popular sport to the athletic program. Whitman sees adding hockey as a huge opportunity to also impact volleyball, wrestling and gymnastics. All three sports have been incredibly successful, but all are in need of upgraded facilities.

"Generating the resources to build something for those sports is very challenging and we think using hockey to drive that plan is the right answer. It allows us to create a solution for those sports that otherwise would be very hard to come by," said Whitman.

The downtown location also provides a new way to extend a hand to the Champaign-Urbana communities.

Whitman said, "You put a building like that in downtown Champaign and it's surrounded by hotels, bars, restaurants, retail space and it becomes a destination. Hockey is played on Friday and Saturday nights. It's a very social experience and so we want our fans to not just go to the game and go home. We want them to go and experience all of what downtown Champaign has to offer."

Whitman believes it will take two to two and half years to get the program up and running after greenlighting. It would join a Big Ten Conference that dominates NCAA hockey.

"We can be great at hockey," Whitman said. "The Big Ten has become a powerhouse at hockey. The conference averages between 4,500 to 5,000 fans per game. A number of the schools are in the top 10 in the nation in attendance. There are 85 Division 1 hockey players from the state of Illinois playing somewhere else and they should be playing in our state. We are excited to be a part of that."

Baseball and Softball: A Focus on Player Development

Whitman said there are a lot of opportunities in baseball and softball with plans in place to make incremental improvements to both the baseball and softball facilities.

"We think the better approach is to focus on player development and over time, as we have resources and opportunity, make incremental improvements to both the baseball and softball facilities," said Whitman. "We have plans now to build large indoor practice spaces that are adjoining to the current locker room facilities. Those will be large enough to house an infield space along with some hitting tunnels."

Additional plans for both diamonds include chair backs, enhanced concessions, and a grand entryway.

Another topic was the May 4 test run of beer sales during the Illinois - Ohio State game. Whitman said the experiment went well with a larger than usual crowd in attendance. Also, a group is studying the results although he did not anticipate beer sales to be a regular occurrence at this time.

Demirjian Park on Track

Announced in December, the new Demirjian Park will add a state-of-the-art facility and amenities for the soccer and track and field programs.

Whitman is excited about the new upgrades, "It's an unbelievable opportunity for our women's soccer and men and women's track and field program that really have not had sufficient facilities for a long time."

This is a phased project with construction of the new soccer fields completed for the 2019 season. The new Demirjian Park Stadium opens for the 2021 track and field season, and will allow Illinois to host the 2021 Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Unlimited Potential

Whitman is most proud of the culture he's nurtured since being named Athletic Director and his bold vision for Illinois athletics hasn't wavered.

"Having done this for two and a half years, I'm awestruck by the potential we have at the University of Illinois," Whitman said. "We've got great passion. We've got great tradition. We have the opportunity to do something truly, truly special. And to be an exciting unifying force for our university community, for Champaign-Urbana, and for the entire state. We have great people. We have a great plan. And we will continue to execute that plan. I look forward to seeing it start to bear fruit in the years ahead."