NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State Athletics announced on Wednesday that two anonymous Redbird families are giving $300,000 for the modernization of the CEFCU Arena fan experience, which fans will notice starting next season. This joint donation, with each family contributing six figures, marks the fifth donation of $250,000 or more publicly announced by ISU Athletics in the last three months.
"We are so appreciative of these two families who believe in our vision to bring the CEFCU Arena game day experience into the 21st century," ISU Deputy Director of Athletics/External Operations Paul Kabbes said. "ISU Athletics is committed to driving revenue and highlighting our teams constantly and this is another step in that direction. We look forward to our fans seeing the drastic improvements during the 2026-27 academic year."
Illinois State Athletics will install TV monitors throughout the concourse prior to the fall athletic seasons. The monitors will assist the Redbirds with improved fan communication, revenue opportunities, and much more on game days. These monitors will also be used during campus and community events such as ISU Commencement, the Gamma Phi Circus and IHSA state championship weekends to improve fan experience. Over 213,000 patrons walked the concourse of CEFCU Arena this past year.
These improvements, among others, will add to the game day experience at CEFCU Arena, as will the ISU Athletics Percy Family Hall of Fame permanent display, which will be finalized in April and located right inside the east doors of CEFCU Arena. This philanthropic support will provide needed upgrades to be shared in the future, and will ensure that volleyball, basketball and gymnastics game days will look to have the best fan experience in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Those interested in supporting Redbird Athletics with philanthropic support can contact Associate Athletic Director/Revenue Generation Nathaniel Smith by phone at (309) 438-3803 or by email at nwsmit2@ilstu.edu. For more information on the Weisbecker Athletic Fund, visit https://weisbeckerathleticfund.com.Â
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
Â
