Who is "the University?" Who speaks for Illinois in regard to athletics?

Who is "the University" and that's a very good question. It varies depending on the subject. Who speaks for UI in regard to athletics. I say it's a combination of the trustees, the University administration, and the most powerful faculty reps (who, perhaps surprisingly, might carry the greatest economic and philosophical weight on the topic). Some of the academic and especially research heavyweights are like loan brokers in banks--they are the "rain makers" for the University. They are the ones whose reputations, programs, and prowess draw major gifts and contributions that fund supercomputer labs and the like. When they talk, people listen. From my perspective as the son of a UI non-ac professional employee, himself a UI grad, and a lifetime follower and supporter of the UI across the board and an alum, I've sensed a lot of friction on this subject. The battle over the Chief, supposedly on altruistic philosophical grounds, was, IMO, an extension of the academic v. athletic trench war that has been waged on the C-U campus for literally decades, for as long as I can remember. Some of the deepest roots of this conflict go back to the mid-60's and those scandalous days. I really believe a "Never Again" attitude was birthed and has evolved into a deep-seated contest for the identity and fame of the University.

OrangeFever