Illinois Football postpones $132 million renovation project at Memorial Stadium

Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman informed media members on Tuesday that the planned renovations at Memorial Stadium have been postponed indefinitely.

Instead, the Fighting Illini will construct a stand-alone performance center attached to the Irwin Indoor Practice Facility. The project, which will cost an estimated $60-80 million, is expected to begin sometime next year for a 2019 completion date.

Illinois’ old $132 million plan was officially announced on October 3, 2016. That effort would’ve added a number of team facilities to the south end zone, including new locker rooms, training and recovery areas, meeting and office spaces, and recruiting venues. Additionally, the ‘horseshoe’ section was set for massive modifications; overall stadium capacity was expected to remain around 60,000.

Based on Whitman’s comments, the new performance center will be constructed somewhere in the outlined area on the following overhead screenshot of the area.

Whitman also mentioned the possibility of building a new basketball practice facility. While conceding that an upgrade wasn’t a priority in the short term, he added that the Illini will further examine their options “at the right time.”