University of Illinois alumnus and businessman Larry Gies made a $100 million donation to the Illinois athletic department and will have the Fighting Illini's football stadium renamed in his family's honor, the school announced. Gies' $100 million gift is the largest in Illinois athletics history and is believed to be among the biggest ever given to a college athletic department. It also came less than a month after Kansas received a historic $300 million gift for its football stadium project and athletic programs.

Gies made the donation in memory of his late father, Larry Gies Sr., who served in the United States Army. Illinois' football stadium, Memorial Stadium, will be known moving forward as Gies Memorial Stadium and will continue to honor soldiers like Gies' father.

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