A historic year of Redbird Athletics

Image courtesy of WGLT

Illinois State athletics capped what Director of Athletics Dr. Jeri Beggs described as “arguably, one of the best years of Redbird Athletics ever,” with success extending beyond competition into academics, fundraising and community engagement. 

The Redbirds won three conference championships and captured the Missouri Valley Conference All-Sport Trophy for the second consecutive year and for the seventh time in the last eight years. Illinois State has won the award 18 times overall.

Football’s run to the national championship game in Nashville was a major highlight and generated significant national exposure to the university. “You don’t fast forward through minutes of that exciting game down in Nashville, right? You were watching every minute,” Beggs said. “Redbirds in the end zone, Illinois State across the bottom of the television, and so it was just a three hour, four hour advertisement for Illinois State University.”

Beggs said the department’s focus has already shifted toward building on that success.

“Everything since January 5th has been about getting back to Nashville,” Beggs said.

Fundraising surges to $10.8 million

Illinois State raised $10.8 million during the past fiscal year, well above its $4.65 million goal. 

Beggs said the total does not include sponsorships revenue and consists of donations and multiyear pledges. The department believes it was the second-highest fundraising year in school history.

“We raised $10.8 million. Our goal was 4.65 million, and so you can do the math,” Deputy Director of Athletics Pual Kabbes said. “We had a really, really good year.”

“The BattleBird Society, which asks members to contribute $5000 annually, has grown to nearly 75 members. Its unrestricted funding allows athletics administrations to direct money toward areas of greatest need.”

The department also has received major gifts supporting women’s basketball, volleyball, softball and other sports. 

Facilities continue to receive major investments 

Illinois State athletics is continuing to invest in facilities following the program’s successful year.

New fencing and padding has been installed at the baseball and softball facilities. The Own Strength and Conditioning Center has undergone a major renovation during the past two years, including a new nutrition bar and turf, with nearly all of its equipment expected to be replaced by the end of 2026.

A new swimming and diving locker room is planned for this fall, and the Percy Family Hall of Fame now has a permanent home inside the east entrance of CEFCU Arena.

“So, it’s not football that’s seeing the support,” Paul Kabbes said. “It’s not just the basketball programs that are seeing the support. We’re seeing it across the board.”

South end zone project remains in early stages

Illinois State also is exploring a potential football project in the south end zone. 

Briggs said university President Aondover Tarhule gave athletics the go-ahead to begin exploring possibilities after seeing the facilities at South Dakota State.

“He gave us the go ahead to start dreaming , and so we’ve been looking at some possibilities for the south end zone project,” Beggs said.

Beggs did emphasize that the project remains in its early stages and would require fundraising, planning, studies and approval from the university’s Board of Trustees.

We’re dreaming right now,” she said.

Beggs said the department does not want to lose the momentum created by the football’s team’s national championship run. 

“What I don’t want to have happen is that we lose the momentum,” Beggs said. “We made it to the championship game, and yet, we didn’t really build the momentum that we would have liked back then.”

Football ticket revenue climbs

Football tickets sales have grown significantly following the team’s national championship run.

Kabbes said Illinois State has doubled the number of new season ticket holders compared with the previous year. New football ticket revenue is up to 84%, while overall football ticket revenue is up 20%.

“We’ve doubled the number of new season tickets that we had in 25 to 25,” Kabbes said. “We have an 84% increase in new revenue from last year, and then a 20% increase in revenue overall for football from last year to this year.”

Volleyball already has surpassed its ticket revenue and season-ticket totals from last year, while athletics expect both men’s and women’s basketball to increase revenue as well.

5-in-5

A new NCAA age-based eligibility rule will give student-athletes five years of eligibility rather than the previous four seasons within five years. 

Briggs said the change could mean some Illinois State student-athletes who believed they were playing their final season will have another year of eligibility.

“It will basically mean that the fall after you turn 19 or start school, which comes earlier, you have five years,” Beggs said. “There are no waivers, everybody gets five years.”

The changing eligibility rules and ongoing legal challenges remain a significant concern for athletics departments nationwide. 

“There were over 80 eligibility lawsuits the last time I checked,” Briggs said. “And I’m guessing that number has grown, because I checked it last week, and they keep going up.”

Illinois State not planning FBS move

Despite the department’s recent success, Beggs said Illinois State has no plans in the short term to move football to the Football Bowl Subdivision.

“I think, again, we’d like to get used to playing in a football championship right,” Beggs said. 

Beggs said the immediate goal is to establish sustained success in the Football Championship Subdivision, regularly reach the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments and continue building within the Missouri Valley Conference. 

Illinois State also lost $650,000 in NCAA funding this year because of costs associated with recent changes in college athletics.

“650,000 is a lot of money for us,” Briggs said.

The goal is sustained success

Despite the department’s historic season, Beggs said there has been little time to celebrate.

“We had the most incredible year ever last year, and none of us took a break because of that,” Beggs said. “We’re just all trying to figure out how to do better next year.” 

Beggs said the department’s priorities include retaining student-athletes and coaches, improving facilities, increasing ticket and sponsorship revenue and continuing to build the resources necessary to compete for championships.

“I want our fans to have that on their radar every single year,” Beggs said. “Nobody plan any cruises, nobody plan any elective surgeries. Nobody has an excuse. You’re gonna plan every year to be at that championship game.”