Located in Champaign, IL, Memorial Stadium has been the home of the Illinois Fighting Illini for more than a century. Before Memorial Stadium opened, the Fighting Illini played at Illinois Field. As the popularity of the football program grew, it became clear that a much larger facility was needed. By 1923, nearly $1.7 million had been contributed to the University of Illinois to construct a new stadium honoring the men and women who served and sacrificed during World War I and, later, World War II. Named Memorial Stadium, the new facility was completed in time for Illinois to play its first game there on November 3, 1923, when the Fighting Illini defeated Chicago.
Over the decades, Memorial Stadium has undergone numerous renovations and expansions as the university worked to modernize the facility and accommodate larger crowds. Today, the stadium has a seating capacity of 60,670 and features two levels of seating. The lower level forms a horseshoe around the field, while upper decks are located along both sides. The press box sits atop the west side upper deck.
Memorial Stadium originally featured a natural grass playing surface. In 1974, the grass was replaced with Astroturf, which was later replaced by FieldTurf. The stadium has also welcomed professional football. In 2002, the NFL’s Chicago Bears played their home games at Memorial Stadium for one season while Soldier Field underwent renovations. Following the 2006 season, work began on a $116 million expansion and renovation project. Completed before the 2008 season, the project included a new press box and luxury suite area on the west side, 10,000 additional seats on the north side and the connection of the south end zone to the east and west grandstands. The concourses were also renovated, and the main video scoreboard was moved to the south end zone.
The stadium underwent another significant change in 2011 when the university announced that 2,200 seats would be removed from the south end zone because of the age of the aluminum seating structure. The removal reduced the seating capacity to approximately 60,670. In September 2025, the stadium was renamed Gies Memorial Stadium after Illinois alumnus Larry Gies donated $100 million to the university. The stadium entered another new era before the 2026 season with the installation of one of the largest scoreboards in college football. Located in the south end zone, the massive HD display measures 69 feet high by 250 feet wide.
With more than a century of history, Memorial Stadium remains one of the most recognizable landmarks on the University of Illinois campus and continues to serve as the home of Fighting Illini football.
