Support the Future of Illini Rowing
New Boathouse Gets Approval to Row Forward
The Illinois Rowing Association (ILRA) is excited to announce the future home of the Illinois Rowing teams. This year, the ILRA announced an agreement with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR) that will provide the ILRA with land along Clinton Lake where the ILRA will build a boathouse.
Construction on a 4,800 sq ft boathouse will begin this year with estimated completion in Spring of 2026. Currently, the team’s boats are stored outdoors, unprotected from the elements. The new boathouse will not only house and protect this equipment but also provide space for boat repairs. The boathouse will feature shell racks, oar racks, storage, and solar power. The boathouse will significantly enhance the student-athlete experience for both our women's and men's club teams and will be a legacy for Illinois Rowing alumni.
The $275,000 project is buoyed by an $80,000 investment from the ILRA but the ILRA still must raise the remaining funds. The boathouse construction campaign will be completed in three phases. The first phase is to construct the boathouse itself. The second phrase will be to meet the one-year needs for the Illinois Rowing teams. The third phase will accommodate boathouse improvements and expansions to meet the needs of our masters and juniors rowing programs.
The boathouse will have a name that will be determined at a later date in accordance with the DNR regulations and our donors. Sponsorship opportunities including naming rights can be found here. If you are interested in learning more about the boathouse, or would like to make a gift or pledge toward the boathouse, please contact the ILRA Board using the contact links above or below.
We hope to welcome you to our ribbon-cutting ceremony (open house) at the 2026 Illinois Rowing Invitationals on April 18th, 2026.
Phase One: Breaking Ground
Goal: $115,000
We are taking a phased approach to our boathouse construction campaign. Our primary goals are to meet the existing needs for the Illini Rowing Teams by providing a secured indoor storage space. Over time, the facility will be designed to accommodate improvements and expansions to meet the needs of additional and growing programs.
Please see here for boathouse naming and sponsorship opportunities to help us meet our goal!
Phase 1 - $115,000 - Fall 2025
Prepare land/site for boathouse construction
Construction of a 60’ x 80’ boathouse
Add utilities to boathouse using green energy solutions
Construction of a 10’ x 10’ outbuilding for fuel storage
Phase 2 - $150,000 - Target 2023
Address long-term transportation support for ILLINI Rowing Teams
Add concrete floor to boathouse
Add shell racks, oar racks, work benches, storage
Two new wakeless launches
New launch docks
Phase 3 - $200,000 - Target 2025
Stabilize field around site for daily and event parking
New 180’ ADA-accessible dock system
Illinois Rowing taught me determination, teamwork, time-management, how to be humble, and how to recognize good people. Being a part of that team shaped me into the person I am today.
Kevin Szubrych ’15
By contributing to this Illinois Rowing Association campaign, you will not only be investing in new equipment and resources to ensure the future success of the Illini Rowing clubs, you will also be recognizing and celebrating the investments already made by the athletes, the coaches, and the organization as a whole.
Rowing at the University of Illinois is growing rapidly.
During the Fall 2019 and Spring 2020 Seasons, the UIUC Men’s and Women’s Club Rowing teams recruited over 50 novice athletes, nearly tripling the size of the club rosters. With this growth, combined with a new and expanded coaching staff, the rowing teams at the University of Illinois are poised to become a force in Midwest Collegiate rowing!
The club’s current position is no accident, but is due to huge investments of time, effort, and resources by the athletes and leadership to create not only a large roster, but also a team culture which everyone is exited to be a part of. Through their hard-fought pieces in the fall racing season and in practice, Illini Rowing athletes have shown that talent runs through every boat, and the size of the novice class shows a depth which will last for years.
Illini Rowing taught me how to be a valued and contributing member of a team with needs bigger than my own. I am so grateful for the experiences I had rowing at Illinois.
Melissa Schick ’15