A Letter from Illinois AD Josh Whitman

[chiefini]

As Fighting Illini Athletics prepares to embark upon our 2018-19 campaign, let me share with you why I am so excited. For the last 2 ½ years, we have undertaken a significant renovation of the athletic program that we all cherish. The hours have been long, the decisions difficult, and the progress steady. As I look at the foundation we have built, I am encouraged by all that has been accomplished.

https://www.victoryillinoisvarsity.com/thoughts-at-40

 

[Second and Chalmers]

In the last 2+ years, we have raised more than $50 million in support of Illinois Athletics. This includes more than $20 million toward the new Football Performance Center and one of the largest single gifts in our athletic program’s history, the $7 million pledge from the Demirjian family to build the new facilities for soccer and track and field. In total, we have received 15 gifts of more than $1 million, many of which we have yet to celebrate publicly, and we have plans to raise an additional $30 million during this new fiscal year.

That's a pretty aggressive goal considering he won't have a shiny new revenue sport coach to goose interest.

Fiscally, we have taken a program that operated at a significant deficit in the year I arrived, and in FY18, which we completed on June 30, we returned the program to an operating surplus for the first time in six years.

That is surprising enough that I'd like to see more detailed numbers. We've been spending money like it's going out of style.

In today’s world, operating with integrity and proactively managing risk are at a premium. Nothing we do can ever shield us entirely from the possibility of a major crisis, but we have instituted an organizational structure, developed policies, and grown a culture that we believe protects us as much as possible from significant missteps and minimizes opportunity for major indiscretions and public embarrassment.

Interesting that he felt the need to say this. Not sure I've seen an AD address this is these sort of terms before.

In football and men’s basketball, we will see promising strides in 2018-19.

The only thing that matters, and while this is obviously hedge-y language, it's always good to hear it addressed head on.

 

[KrushCow31]

Interesting that he felt the need to say this. Not sure I've seen an AD address this is these sort of terms before.

I assumed it was comments in response to the whole Beckman abuse stuff and how we've taken measures to make sure it never happens again, but who knows.

 

[FollowTisdale]

That is surprising enough that I'd like to see more detailed numbers. We've been spending money like it's going out of style.

He said "operating surplus" so it probably excludes the capital project expenses (but probably includes the donations, since I believe they're all "unrestricted"). There's a lot of semantic games you could play when talking about non-profit cash flow, and the DIA's reports are hard to find (at least I can't seem to find anything more recent than 2012 using google).

 

[TheGMan]

Interesting that he felt the need to say this. Not sure I've seen an AD address this is these sort of terms before.

I think he was just subtly hinting that he is #teamshield

 

[Greensboro]

That is surprising enough that I'd like to see more detailed numbers. We've been spending money like it's going out of style.

A large part of that has to be B1G payouts. Here is what Michigan reported from

Awefulannouncing

After receiving $36 million in 2017, Michigan received a $51.1 million payout in 2018 from the conference largely thanks to a huge rights deal with ESPN and Fox and the success of the Big Ten Network. The number will increase to $52.1 million for the 2019 fiscal year.

So adding 15 million more revenue, I would hope that puts us in the black. For reference it looks like we were 6 million deficit in 2016.
2016 Budget

Another interesting/concerning side note I see is debt

In the Big Ten, also flush from a rich media deal, the University of Illinois owes more than $260 million.

Debt

 

[Deleted member 186590]

I assumed it was comments in response to the whole Beckman abuse stuff and how we've taken measures to make sure it never happens again, but who knows.

I think he's referring to the scandals like at MSU and that he's putting in place protocols to help prevent those types of issues from going unnoticed for so long.

 

[Deleted member 186590]

He said "operating surplus" so it probably excludes the capital project expenses (but probably includes the donations, since I believe they're all "unrestricted"). There's a lot of semantic games you could play when talking about non-profit cash flow, and the DIA's reports are hard to find (at least I can't seem to find anything more recent than 2012 using google).

Yeah, that one didn't feel accurate to me - I'm sure he's doing the "fun with numbers" to try to make a point that he's a good operator. We did just have significant buyouts the year he came in and then he personally increased the spend significantly on the football staff and recruiting budget, so he's contributed to increased spend. It's like trying to claim credit for a problem you created.

 

[SKane]

"We are standing on the precipice, and it is going to take every member of the Illini family to help push us over the top."

Definition of precipice
1: a very steep or overhanging place
2: a hazardous situation; broadly :

 

[South Farms]

I think he's referring to the scandals like at MSU and that he's putting in place protocols to help prevent those types of issues from going unnoticed for so long.

agree with this

I think he was referencing MSU and the other things that have happened at PSU (Sandusky) and OSU wrestling

 

[othawhitemeat]

I really like Whitman as he has a chance to be our best AD we have ever had. Stating that, sometimes, he comes off over the top with sales pitch. May be nitpicking, but sometimes we just want the full truth. When you speak like this, you better hope the teams start winning soon and big.

 

[Illwinsagain]

I really like Whitman as he has a chance to be our best AD we have ever had. Stating that, sometimes, he comes off over the top with sales pitch. May be nitpicking, but sometimes we just want the full truth. When you speak like this, you better hope the teams start winning soon and big.

Not sure we could take it, just sayin'

 

[othawhitemeat]

Not sure we could take it, just sayin'

True, true. Maybe just lay it on less thick as sometimes it comes off talking down to us in my opinion.

 

[BRucks]

Not sure we could take it, just sayin'

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...5FE8EA81AB4EAF5D77DD5FE8EA81AB4EA&FORM=VDQVAP