Gies Memorial Stadium is the home of Illinois Fighting Illini football on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus. Built as a tribute to university students who died in World War I, the stadium opened on November 3, 1923, with a 7-0 Homecoming win over Chicago, and its exterior still carries nearly 200 columns inscribed with the names of the fallen.
The venue carried the name Memorial Stadium for over a century before being renamed Gies Memorial Stadium in September 2025, after alumnus Larry Gies donated $100 million to the university in memory of his father, an Army veteran. Today it seats 60,670 and remains one of college football’s most recognizable memorial venues.
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): Illinois Fighting Illini (NCAA football)
- Location: Champaign, Illinois
- Opened: November 3, 1923
- Capacity: 60,670
- Playing Surface: Zuppke Field (FieldTurf)
- Notable Feature: Nearly 200 exterior columns memorializing WWI dead
A Stadium Built to Remember
Unlike most college football venues, Gies Memorial Stadium was conceived first as a memorial and second as a sports facility. Designed by Holabird & Roche and opened in 1923, its colonnade of nearly 200 pillars was funded in part by donors who purchased columns to honor individual University of Illinois students and alumni killed in World War I, and their names remain engraved on the structure today.
The playing field itself is named Zuppke Field, honoring longtime head coach Robert Zuppke, and a 12-foot bronze statue of Illinois legend Red Grange has stood outside the stadium since 2009. A ship’s bell from the USS Illinois also rings out each time the Illini score at home.
From Memorial Stadium to Gies Memorial Stadium
The stadium’s playing surface evolved from natural grass through AstroTurf and AstroPlay before settling on FieldTurf in 2008, the same year the university completed the “Illinois Renaissance” renovation project that modernized seating and premium areas. Capacity has held at 60,670 since a 2011 renovation.
In September 2025, the university renamed the venue Gies Memorial Stadium after a $100 million gift from alumnus Larry Gies, given in memory of his father Larry Gies Sr., a U.S. Army veteran. The new name preserves the stadium’s memorial identity while marking the largest athletics donation in school history.
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Gies Memorial Stadium FAQs
Who plays at Gies Memorial Stadium?
The Illinois Fighting Illini football team of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a member of the Big Ten Conference.
Why is it called a ‘memorial’ stadium?
It was built and dedicated in the 1920s as a memorial to University of Illinois students and alumni who died in World War I, with their names inscribed on nearly 200 exterior columns.
When was the stadium renamed Gies Memorial Stadium?
The University of Illinois trustees approved the renaming in September 2025 following a $100 million donation from alumnus Larry Gies.
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Photo: Lectrician2 / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.