CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA) and Director of Athletics Josh Whitman are proud to announce a $1 million gift from the Irwin Family Foundation in support of the Fighting Illini Center for Excellence (FICE), located in the Northeast Tower of Memorial Stadium.
This gift increases the total amount of donations to the University of Illinois from the Irwin Family Foundation to more than $25 million over the last four decades.
"FICE, which aggregates many of our student-athlete support services, serves as a central gathering place and daily use facility for almost every Fighting Illini student-athlete," said Whitman. "The generosity of the Irwin Family Foundation, which has benefited generations of Fighting Illini student-athletes, including me, will once again enhance and augment the opportunity our program provides our student-athletes to pursue academic excellence. We thank the Irwin Foundation, particularly Jackie Irwin Pipher and Bob Lynch, for their longstanding friendship and continued support of the DIA. The Irwin legacy is one that our program treasures, and we are thrilled to partner with them on yet another exciting project."
FICE is located in the stadium space formerly used as the Illinois football offices and team spaces in the Northeast Tower. The current renovation project of existing academic spaces will provide a progressive state-of-the-art learning environment for more than 500 Illinois student-athletes.
Additions include the latest learning and audio-visual experiences for Fighting Illini student-athletes. An open layout featuring glass-faced perimeter spaces which share natural light in open study and lounge areas can be used as a study space for all student-athletes.
The renovation will also include small collaboration rooms, a group study room, and lecture/conference space, along with individual tutor and office spaces that can be used for one-on-one interaction with student-athletes.
The area will also feature bright and inviting Fighting Illini branded spaces to help provide a positive learning environment. This centralized single academic facility is part of FICE, which provides all the support functions for Illinois student-athletes in one location, including strength and condition, equipment and sports medicine.
"The renovated academic services space at FICE will be critical in the continued success of Fighting Illini student-athletes as they pursue their degrees from one of the world's most outstanding universities," said Dr. Stephon Fuqua, Associate Director of Athletics, Academic Services and Student-Athlete Development. "The location of this space complements the surrounding athletic facilities and truly makes FICE a hub for all of our student-athletes to receive premier support services when not practicing or competing."
The legacy of Richard D. Irwin and his impact on Fighting Illini Athletics cannot be overstated. Irwin graduated from Illinois as part of the class of 1926 and was a successful philanthropist and entrepreneur who was the founder and chairman emeritus of Richard D. Irwin Inc., a major textbook publisher.
He and his family, through the Irwin Family Foundation, made leadership gifts in support of Fighting Illini Athletics now over four decades, which included naming the original Irwin Football Coaches' Office Suite, the Irwin Academic Services Center, and the Irwin Indoor Practice Facility. The Irwin Family Foundation also made a leadership gift to name the Irwin Doctoral Study Building in the Gies College of Business at Illinois.
"The Irwin Family Foundation has played a major role in the growth and success of Fighting Illini Athletics since their first involvement more than 40 years ago," said Illinois Athletics Chief Development Officer Howard Milton. "We continue to thank the Irwin Family for their continued support and the role they play as we strive to offer the best experience possible to every person who competes athletically as Fighting Illini."
