Redbird Athletics Receives $3 Million Gift Commitment for Indoor Practice Facility

NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State University Athletics has received a $3 million gift commitment for the Indoor Practice Facility project from entrepreneur Dee Miller, his wife Sheila Marshall-Miller '94, and former Illinois State student-athlete and professional football player BJ Bello.

"We are incredibly grateful to Dee, Sheila, and BJ for their commitment to our student-athletes and the Indoor Practice Facility," ISU Director of Athletics Kyle Brennan said. "This project is a game-changer for our department and the campus community, and their investment and confidence in our vision means the world to us. Their gift will enhance the student-athlete experience while providing every opportunity to win championships. This is another significant milestone in our efforts to elevate ISU Athletics to new heights. We can't thank them enough."

Dee Miller is a managing partner of 360 Sports Group and the founder and CEO of The Linq Up, LLC, a social media app for people of faith. Prior to founding The Linq Up, Miller was senior vice president of global promotions & marketing for Media Arts Entertainment and is an established record producer and songwriter. He is a member of the iHeart Media Community Relations and Soup N Share Outreach Program boards in the Southern Illinois and greater St. Louis area. 

"It's important to Sheila and me that we continue to share our blessings," Miller said. "ISU has given so much to our family. This gift will help the University and the Athletic Department in so many ways. This is just the beginning of our commitment to continue the good work already started by so many before us. Our goal is to help Illinois State be competitive with every university in the world, in every area."

Sheila Marshall-Miller is a business owner and award-winning educator of more than 25 years. She has served many students in the Springfield, IL, Edwardsville, IL, and Hazelwood, MO school districts as an elementary and middle school teacher, reading coach, and reading specialist. She received a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Illinois State University and a master's degree in Educational Administration from the University of Illinois at Springfield.  

"Illinois State University offers a world-class education to its students, and sports are a big part of the college experience as well as our family dynamic," Marshall-Miller said. "Dee and I feel this gift will help future student-athletes for years to come."

Amin Babjide (BJ) Bello is a managing partner of 360 Sports Group and a National Football League player for the Tennessee Titans. Bello played one season for the Redbirds in 2016, earning Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Newcomer Team honors before beginning a professional football career that has spanned five seasons. Bello, the middle child of parents who emigrated from Nigeria, has used his platform to inspire youth in his community and around the world.

"Being a former student-athlete at Illinois State, I know this project will have a major impact on the Athletics Department," Bello stated. "For ISU Athletics to put me in a position to continue my football career at the professional level, it's important for me to give back and provide resources to help put those after me in a position to achieve their goals as well. I truly believe this project is a step in the right direction to better both the department and the student-athlete experience." 

The Illinois State University Board of Trustees authorized the Athletics Department to proceed with design, bidding, construction, and financing of the Indoor Practice Facility during a special meeting held on campus on Dec. 12, 2021. Authority to proceed with construction was contingent upon securing commitments for $8.05 million of the total $11.5 million project cost. This gift moves the project past that threshold.

The Indoor Practice Facility will be a heated, quality opaque dual-membrane fabric air dome with insulation pockets for planned year-round use. The facility will be built in the location of the current football practice field directly north of Horton Field House. It will be 69 feet high, 393 feet long and 201 feet wide with LED lighting. A 100-yard practice football field will feature a single end zone with run off areas and artificial turf to match the current surface at Hancock Stadium. The facility will be open to all Redbird teams, and when construction is complete, will ease congestion for ISU teams currently using Horton Field House as an indoor practice area.

"Dee, Sheila, and BJ have made a major investment in Illinois State University, their commitment and enthusiasm are an inspiration to our University community, especially to our students," President Terri Goss Kinzy said. 

The goal is to begin construction in spring 2022. A groundbreaking date is yet to be determined.

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