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.
Construction on a 4,800 sq ft boathouse will begin this year with estimated completion in Spring of 2026. Currently, our boats are stored outdoors, unprotected from the elements. The new boathouse will not only house and protect this equipment but also provide a permanent home for our teams and allow for new community programs to be established. The boathouse will feature shell racks, oar racks, storage, and off-grid 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 $300,000 project was intended to be a long-term campaign, but recent updates to the leadership at the IDNR have required us to accelerate our timelines. We have been informed that we have until the end of 2025 to break ground on the boathouse or will need to vacate the site. This campaign is buoyed by an initial $80,000 investment from the ILRA but we still must raise the remaining funds.
The boathouse construction campaign will be completed in four phases. The first phase will initiate our building contracts and break ground. The second phrase will be construct the building. The third phase will include the finishing touches and furnishing. The final phase will focus on improvements to meet the needs longer term needs of the teams and establish masters and juniors rowing programs.
We hope to welcome you to our ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house at the 2026 Illinois Rowing Invitationals on April 18th, 2026.
Phase One: Breaking Ground
Goal: $95,000
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 - Breaking Ground - Fall 2025 - Total: $95,000
October 15th: $30,000 — FUNDS IN HAND
Sign Final Contract
Obtain Permits
Order Materials
November 15th: $65,000 — MAJORITY FUNDRAISED
Prepare Site
Start Construction
Phase 2 - Completing Construction - Winter 2025 - Total: $145,000
December 1st: $45,000
Complete Framing
December 31st: $5,000
Complete Construction
Phase 3 - Interior Work - Early 2026 - Total: $200,000
January 2026 — $37,000
Off-Grid Solar Power Installation
Electrical Work
Spring 2026: $18,000
Interior Work
Boat Racks
Oar Racks
Furnishings
Phase 4 - Sustaining Costs - Total: $300,000
Fall 2026 and Beyond
ADA Accessible Dock System
Safety Launch Docking
Establish Community Programs
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