Gies Memorial Stadium

[sultan of grange grove]

Illinois had very limited options for naming rights because it's a true Memorial Stadium. They weren't putting CAT or any other for profit business on the name. That's a non-starter.

They're lucky Gies' father was a vet or that likely wasn't a go either.

I proposed changing the naming on Zuppke field. I don't believe there is any living Zuppke family still involved in Illinois football (I may be wrong). Does anyone today really know much about him? No. There would be a groundswell of opposition in the 100's. Maybe.

Gies has already given $150M to the Business school. So in total, that's $250M. I'm sure there are other donations in there. Presumably, he has more money to donate in the future. Keep him close to the program and don't let the University or posters "Shad Khan" him. Been there, done that.

So they’ll sell to private equity investors but we draw the line at corporate sponsors? I’m sure the dead vets really appreciate mr Gies throwing his name on their monument for his dad (who didn’t die in a war). If the argument is that it’s sacred ground selling the naming rights to a billionaire sorta defeats that purpose imo.

Im just not buying that argument. He picked something this was a tax write off. I’d have preferred taking less money but invest it in the product (which is why fans show up.. not large tvs)

 

[illini0440]

People need to look at what other programs have gotten for naming rights and then formulate their opinions. We really undersold the asset we had

Facts are that we didn’t get top end value for the stadium naming rights. There were options… we didn’t explore them. Josh is pretty good at what he does. But mistakes happen.

A quick google search disproves your “facts”

All in the 60-80 mil range. We got a $100 mil from a guy who is going to continue to give A TON more.

 

[MikeTisdale]

Yea when a 60 year old controlling owner of a $15ish billion cap privately owned conglomerate who just happens to be a sports nut gives your school a quarter of a billion dollars in a relatively short time frame, you give him basically anything he wants (within reason) to keep him happy and keep the $ spigot on. The guy is probably the wealthiest alumni we got outside of Khan (unless you count Larry Ellison, who's isn't an alumni and is currently underwriting Michigan's football program).

Also, we have no idea what stipulations were put on the Gies DIA donation. I mean he got his name on the stadium, but we don't know if he put any restrictions on how that money could be used (facilities, players, coaches, etc.)

 

[Mr. Tibbs]

Yea when a 60 year old controlling owner of a $15ish billion cap privately owned conglomerate who just happens to be a sports nut gives your school a quarter of a billion dollars in a relatively short time frame, you give him basically anything he wants (within reason) to keep him happy and keep the $ spigot on. The guy is probably the wealthiest alumni we got outside of Khan (unless you count Larry Ellison, who's isn't an alumni and is currently underwriting Michigan's football program).

Also, we have no idea what stipulations were put on the Gies DIA donation. I mean he got his name on the stadium, but we don't know if he put any restrictions on how that money could be used (facilities, players, coaches, etc.)

pretty sure it’s just for capital improvements , and I’m 100% fine with donors getting to stipulate that if they want.

 

[Pikeillinifan]

Yea when a 60 year old controlling owner of a $15ish billion cap privately owned conglomerate who just happens to be a sports nut gives your school a quarter of a billion dollars in a relatively short time frame, you give him basically anything he wants (within reason) to keep him happy and keep the $ spigot on. The guy is probably the wealthiest alumni we got outside of Khan (unless you count Larry Ellison, who's isn't an alumni and is currently underwriting Michigan's football program).

Also, we have no idea what stipulations were put on the Gies DIA donation. I mean he got his name on the stadium, but we don't know if he put any restrictions on how that money could be used (facilities, players, coaches, etc.)

Larry Geis is worth about $5B, in case people haven't noticed. To be successful in this new world of college athletics, programs need this type of engaged donor who loves their university to be even reasonably successful. Thank goodness he loves Illinois and Illinois football. I'd think many of us on this board would be doing the same thing if we were worth $5B. I, for one, am extremely grateful for all he has done for the Illini.

 

[Mr. Tibbs]

yup
and if he’s simply not ready to fund NIL yet , maybe he will soon

in the meantime , it’s incumbent upon JW to find the ones who are . it’s part of his job & the people in the UI Foundation to provide leads to his people . Try to imagine someone with Guenthers mentality still in charge .

 

[sultan of grange grove]

A quick google search disproves your “facts”

All in the 60-80 mil range. We got a $100 mil from a guy who is going to continue to give A TON more.

Those aren’t lifetime deals. We gave up naming rights FOR life. It was undersold. And maybe he will. But there’s no guarantee of that. And if it’s not helping the on the field product it’s sorta a waste given today’s game

 

[IlliniCaboose]

The only guarantee is that he'll stop if "fans" keep giving him crap and complaining about how and where he donates his money.
The venn diagram of people complaining about the stadium getting new signage and people who still complain about the board of trustees snubbing Kahn has a way bigger middle section than it should.

 

[RabidDawgClassic]

They're lucky Gies' father was a vet or that likely wasn't a go either.

That, to me, is the loopiest of loopholes. Essentially it’s “Gies’ Dad Memorial Stadium.”

 

[sultan of grange grove]

That, to me, is the loopiest of loopholes. Essentially it’s “Gies’ Dad Memorial Stadium.”

And correct me if I’m wrong… but did his dad die in war?

 

[Rap47]

And correct me if I’m wrong… but did his dad die in war?

Do you donate to the university or just complain about someone who does? He is deeply appreciated by people on this site and if you are so offended, root for someone else.

 

[sultan of grange grove]

Do you donate to the university or just complain about someone who does? He is deeply appreciated by people on this site and if you are so offended, root for someone else.

I think there is a level of critical thinking involved in this conversation that must be considered. It’s not a black and white “good or bad” type of thing. It’s “did we get top end value for selling a premier asset”. If you are upset about people discussing topics relevant to the state program then I can’t really help ya. I didn’t realize you spoke for everyone on the board.

I donate to the NIL…. Which I think carries significantly more weight considering the current landscape.

 

[Dkayak]

Do you donate to the university or just complain about someone who does? He is deeply appreciated by people on this site and if you are so offended, root for someone else.

I believe his point is the stadium was dedicated as a memorial to hundreds of alumni who paid a FAR dearer price than Gies (or his father) ever will. We can appreciate the Gies donation while feeling sad about papering over the stadium’s status as a memorial just to rake in more money. Plenty of people give generously (in proportion to their means) w/o any recognition. Those are truly gifts.

Never forget. Never confuse giving money with giving your life.

 

[sultan of grange grove]

I believe his point is the stadium was dedicated as a memorial to hundreds of alumni who paid a FAR dearer price than Gies (or his father) ever will. We can appreciate the Gies donation while feeling sad about papering over the stadium’s status as a memorial just to rake in more money. Plenty of people give generously (in proportion to their means) w/o any recognition. Those are truly gifts.

Never forget. Never confuse giving money with giving your life.

Couldn’t have said it any better myself. I understand people who don’t care. But for those of who have lost people to actual war, it’s somewhat insulting some of the takes I’ve seen here regarding it.

 

[Rap47]

Gies memorial stadium, state farm center, Ubben complex what is the difference? They are all named for donations to the U of I.

 

[IlliniCaboose]

These are 2 different conversations. On one hand you're saying we didn't get enough money. On the other you're saying it's a memorial for fallen soldiers and no amount of money is enough to cheapen the name.
Your main point seems to indicate you do have a line somewhere. Would $1B going only towards NIL have been enough? If so your second point seems a bit hypocritical.

 

[fuddrules]

Couldn’t have said it any better myself. I understand people who don’t care. But for those of who have lost people to actual war, it’s somewhat insulting some of the takes I’ve seen here regarding it.

No one is buried at Memorial Stadium. No soldiers died there.

This isn't Auschwitz-Birkenau or even a cemetery. Spare us the faux being insulted.

Can you imaging going to Auschwitz-Birkenau, getting liquored up and cheering (or as an Illinois fan, you'd sit ) like a mad man cheering on your favorite team?

I never even heard of a public tour being conducted there. Maybe they've had them? If so, they are rare. It's self serve during a sporting event, I usually walk at least one side of the column areas every game. Very very few join me, especially the west side which isn't the easiest to get to.

The memorial part of the stadium, the limestone columns for WWI, the tablets from other others wars are still there in all their glory, untouched and unaffected by Gies.

It's fine.

 

[sultan of grange grove]

These are 2 different conversations. On one hand you're saying we didn't get enough money. On the other you're saying it's a memorial for fallen soldiers and no amount of money is enough to cheapen the name.
Your main point seems to indicate you do have a line somewhere. Would $1B going only towards NIL have been enough? If so your second point seems a bit hypocritical.

My point is if you’re going to sell out… at least get market value. Considering what the stadium represents… giving it away for below market value is bad (look up what Arkansas got for 10 year commitment). At the end of the day I’d have prefer it stayed a memorial to actual soldiers who perished. But if we are going to sell out and play the game. At least play the game well. We didn’t. It was a tax write off for Larry, which is why he went the route he did.

I understand his reasoning for going infrastructure over talent on the field. But Josh didn’t need to give him the naming rights then. Could have kept those reserved and given him the ability to ask for anything else. Name on the scoreboard, Locker room visits, sideline passes, advertising space etc.

I don’t think it was a good business move. From someone who works in M&A… I think we got a little desperate.

 

[krushdad]

My point is if you’re going to sell out… at least get market value. Considering what the stadium represents… giving it away for below market value is bad (look up what Arkansas got for 10 year commitment). At the end of the day I’d have prefer it stayed a memorial to actual soldiers who perished. But if we are going to sell out and play the game. At least play the game well. We didn’t. It was a tax write off for Larry, which is why he went the route he did.

I understand his reasoning for going infrastructure over talent on the field. But Josh didn’t need to give him the naming rights then. Could have kept those reserved and given him the ability to ask for anything else. Name on the scoreboard, Locker room visits, sideline passes, advertising space etc.

I don’t think it was a good business move. From someone who works in M&A… I think we got a little desperate.

Do you know Larry? You have zero idea of what his thoughts are. He has spent much more on players and program expenditures, that he chooses to keep private, (between him and the program). You say "play the game well". Do you have a clue that the game with Larry is still being played, and will continue to be played for possibly decades. If our benefactor is kept happy, the pipeline for the sports programs and the Gies College of Business will continue for a long time.

 

[AirTran]

My point is if you’re going to sell out… at least get market value. Considering what the stadium represents… giving it away for below market value is bad (look up what Arkansas got for 10 year commitment). At the end of the day I’d have prefer it stayed a memorial to actual soldiers who perished. But if we are going to sell out and play the game. At least play the game well. We didn’t. It was a tax write off for Larry, which is why he went the route he did.

I understand his reasoning for going infrastructure over talent on the field. But Josh didn’t need to give him the naming rights then. Could have kept those reserved and given him the ability to ask for anything else. Name on the scoreboard, Locker room visits, sideline passes, advertising space etc.

I don’t think it was a good business move. From someone who works in M&A… I think we got a little desperate.

While Krushdad's reply covers the reality of the Gies and how most benefactor relationships work, I will add a slight tangent.

The only way to extract market value is for a market to exist. In this case, it was $100mm or nothing. There is no market. You may want to go to the new post section and see where we rank in NIL spend for football talent. Same issue, we are at the bottom of B1G in in terms of contribution to the program

What Josh is doing it investing the Memorial Stadium plant, and improve the Gies Memorial Stadium experience for all events, so generate revenue and make us more competitive.

Damn good thinking.

 

[IlliniCaboose]

I love all the "Josh is a smart guy but" posts in here. Show me your Bronze Tablet and law degree. You think he doesn't do his research for what things are worth and weighs them against the value he thinks he can extract?

 

[Rap47]

Those aren’t lifetime deals. We gave up naming rights FOR life. It was undersold. And maybe he will. But there’s no guarantee of that. And if it’s not helping the on the field product it’s sorta a waste given today’s game

Do you really think that facilities are not good for recruiting?

 

[IlliniCaboose]

*Bronze tablet while playing D1 football and scoring TDs

 

[GatorMcKlusky]

Marc Andreessen is another billionaire Illini alum. But we sued him claiming he had stolen the Mosiac browser. So there's another rich alum we've pissed off.

 

[RabidDawgClassic]

I’ve been pretty straightforward with my opinion that, in the current state of college athletics, you have to take extraordinary measures to stay competitive. If selling the naming rights to Memorial Stadium was something that needed to be done to field a winning football team, then it had to be done. It’s debatable whether Gies’ $100-mill will help with that and it’s also debatable as to whether that amount was underselling it. But no one wants a stadium — a memorial or otherwise — to be consistently empty because the home team is pathetic.

Where I take offense (if that’s even the right word) is the blatant insult to our intelligence in:

1. Saying it’s okay because Gies’ dad was a veteran, and
2. Saying the $100 million was a “gift” when it was clearly a business transaction.

It’s insulting to think the Illinois fanbase, as a whole, would just accept the whole “we’re not selling out the military history of the stadium because Larry Gies’ dad was a veteran too. So… we cool?” If you’re gonna sell out the soldiers whose names are on the columns, at least have the balls to own it.

As for the gift… if Gies was truly giving it without expecting anything in return, then no offer to rename the stadium in his honor should ever have been brought up. For tax purposes, it may be considered a donation… but in reality, Gies got something of significant value in return for his money.