Larry Gies to be Honorary Captain vs. Western Michigan

After donating $100 million dollars to Illinois Athletics on Tuesday, the Fighting Illini football team has announced that Larry Gies will be the honorary captain for the Western Michigan game.

The gift is the largest in Illinois athletics history, and the the Illini showed their graditude by adding Gies’ name to the stadium, now known as Gies Memorial Stadium.

The funds will be used throughout the entire athletic department, but with how much football and basketball rosters cost in present day college athletics, it is safe to assume a large chunk will go towards those two.

This is also one of the biggest donations in college sports. In the last couple of years and anonymous donor gifted $62 million to Missouri, and David Booth gifted $300 million to Alma Mater, Kansas. And now Gies can join them at the millions of dollars towards collegiate athletics donation club. (There has to be a club right?)

The Illini, who are also celebrating family weekend in front of a sell-out crowd, will kickoff at 6 p.m. on FS1.

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