Saturday session scheduled to decide on $11.5 million Illinois State practice dome by university trustees

Posted on December 9, 2021
The Illinois State University governing board. (Neil Doyle/WJBC)

By Jake Fogal

Illinois State’s governing board has planned a session for Saturday at 10:30 a.m. to discuss the athletic department’s $11.5 million concept for and indoor practice facility for ISU atheltics.

A report to ISU’s board of trustees claims Redbird Athletics has raised almost $7 million for the project, $1 million short of the $8 million goal set by the department to begin construction on the structure. Funding for the project is expected to come from private fundraising, borrowing, and some unspent athletic department funds.

Currently, Horton Fieldhouse accompanies many of the sporting teams at ISU. Bringing in a new facility would reduce scheduling pressure of the nearly 60-year old building. The dome would be 69 feet in height, and long enough to fit a 100 yard field.

Maintenance and further costs would be covered by community groups renting the dome when the university is not using it on nights and weekends.

Jake Fogal can be reached at [email protected].

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