To the Memorial Stadium Society Community and University Leadership:The opening lines of our historic fight song declare: "We’re loyal to you, Illinois." Yet, the current university administration has proven fundamentally broken in that faith.We have officially submitted a formal Letter to the Editor to the Illinois press. We are drawing a line in the sand regarding the corporate purchase of our sacred war memorial.In 1924, the University of Illinois promised to honor 189 Illini who died in World War I. In 2002, that promise was extended to 948 additional Illini who fell in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. By renaming our war memorial "Gies Memorial Stadium" for $100 million, leadership has prioritized this corporate purchase over our fallen heroes. The donor openly stated his purpose was to "honor his father"—a Kansas State alumnus. Awarding our most sacred landmark to an out-of-state alumnus is a profound act of betrayal. It is dishonorable, dishonest, and deeply disloyal to the 1,137 fallen Illini. We ask that the family withdraw their name from the stadium in reverence to the Illini who gave their lives. We ask those responsible for this disloyal act to apologize and ask themselves "Are they truly being loyal to the sacred dead of our Memorial Stadium?" If you cannot be completely loyal to our in-state university, why should you continue to be paid by the taxpayers of Illinois? Finally, call the University President at 217-333-3070 and ask: how could this happen?

UPDATE: Clarifying Our Legal Strategy to Save Memorial StadiumWe want to provide our supporters with an important clarification regarding the Memorial Stadium Society's legal strategy.Please be aware that the Memorial Stadium Society is not petitioning the University of Illinois administration or the Board of Trustees. Instead, we have taken our fight directly to highest legal officer in the state. We have filed a formal complaint with the Illinois Attorney General's Charitable Trust Bureau, asking them to investigate whether the University of Illinois Board of Trustees violated the Charitable Trust Act.Our position is clear: the university illegally diverted the original purpose of a sacred public trust—funded by 21,000 citizens to honor WWI casualties—when they attached a corporate donor's name to the historic stadium. We are pursuing this specific legal avenue to hold the trustees accountable and restore the original name of Memorial Stadium. Thank you for your continued support!

UPDATE: Clarifying Our Legal Strategy to Save Memorial StadiumWe want to provide our supporters with an important clarification regarding the Memorial Stadium Society's legal strategy.Please be aware that the Memorial Stadium Society is not petitioning the University of Illinois administration or the Board of Trustees. Instead, we have taken our fight directly to highest legal officer in the state. We have filed a formal complaint with the Illinois Attorney General's Charitable Trust Bureau, asking them to investigate whether the University of Illinois Board of Trustees violated the Charitable Trust Act.Our position is clear: the university illegally diverted the original purpose of a sacred public trust—funded by 21,000 citizens to honor WWI casualties—when they attached a corporate donor's name to the historic stadium. We are pursuing this specific legal avenue to hold the trustees accountable and restore the original name of Memorial Stadium. Thank you for your continued support!

Dear Friends and Supporters, Because of your unwavering commitment to preserving the memory of our war dead, the Memorial Stadium Society has officially crossed a major threshold: We are now 400 strong!Thanks to our latest supporters joining us online this weekend, our current coalition stands at 338 online signatures, 58 mail-in petitions, and 4 telephone confirmations. Furthermore, our written comments have reached a milestone of exactly 150.Please know that your voices are not being sent to the University's Board of Trustees to be ignored. Instead, they are part of a formal legal action delivered directly to the highest law officer in the state: the Illinois Attorney General’s Charitable Trust Bureau.Every single signature and comment added to our petition is continuously monitored and read by attorneys within the bureau, meaning your voice is actively shaping the state's ongoing investigation. This high-level state intervention was explicitly confirmed in a March 25th letter to us from the Attorney General's Bureau:"Thank you very much for your recent complaint submitted on behalf of the Memorial Stadium Society against the University of Illinois. At this time, we are in receipt of your complaint, and we are conducting a review of the allegations."Your early comments and signatures have been sitting on a state trust attorney's desk since we submitted our initial 33-page binder in February, which included 28 pages of every comment and signature on our petition. This petition has never been submitted to the Board of Trustees, nor will it ever be. The votes of the Board of Trustees are now irrelevant. It is up to the Attorney General, not the university, to decide what to do with the name of Memorial Stadium.We thank you one and all for your outpouring of support for restoring the simple name, Memorial Stadium. Please take a moment this holiday weekend to forward our petition to three friends, fellow veterans, or alumni, knowing that their signatures and comments become a part of the evidence being reviewed by the Charitable Trust Bureau. Thank you for standing duty-bound with the men who were killed in World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam, whose names are carved on our limestore columns and plaques. Our stadium is a living memorial to those devoted men who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Sincerely, Reverend James French,Liaison Officer, Memorial Stadium Society.Formerly Captain James W. French, U.S. Army (1969-1972), Airborne.

The Memorial Stadium Society represents the greater community of Illinois alumni, veterans, and families united in protecting a sacred monument from commercial rebranding. What the university administration treated as a simple financial transaction has instead met an unyielding wall of historical documentation. We are successfully advancing our case against the university's corporate naming contract, ensuring that the voices of those who built and cherished this monument are not sidelined by modern corporate interests.The law is clear regarding the preservation of military cenotaphs. This is an official matter of state statutory compliance, not a private dispute. A century-old sacred asset cannot be altered, devalued, or visually compromised to suit shifting financial priorities. Because of the extensive evidence gathered by our community, the highest law enforcement bureau in the state is actively engaged. The Attorney General's office is conducting an independent review based on the clear, undeniable legal restrictions attached to the original 1920s trust.The facts regarding history erasure are now in the hands of the proper regulatory authorities. We trust the state to uphold the integrity of Illinois charitable trusts. This independent review ensures the dispute is evaluated strictly on legal merits rather than institutional public relations. Thank you for your continued vigilance, your signatures, and your unwavering commitment to preserving the true, uncompromised heritage of Memorial Stadium. Share This Update:Please forward this email to fellow alumni or veterans. For more information, call or text Jim French, Liaison Officer at 815-291-9071.

We’re sharing this Letter to the Editor we submitted today so supporters can read it immediately. Economic Desperation Drives Name Change The people of Illinois, the tax-paying citizens, who fund and sustain the university, deserve to see the raw economics driving modern campus sports. At the start of the year, Illinois is already contracted to pay roughly $19 million to its top coaches and athletic department senior officials alone. When you add the $21 million revenue-sharing pool required to pay student-athletes dictated by the House v. NCAA decision in July, the university faces a staggering $40 million annual roster obligation before a single whistle blows. For all practical purposes, these multi-million-dollar payouts function the same as a salary. In effect, the average annual salaries for the starters will be between $300,000 and $1,000,000. This professionalization of our college players is exactly why a large amount of money—even the money from just one man—is so welcomed. The money is desperately needed to fund these soaring athletic department expenses. It is exactly this desperation for money which has driven this entire Memorial Stadium disaster. But a crushing athletic budget is no reason not to tell the truth. If the university administration had just shared their financial situation with us all from the very beginning, we might at least understand their desperate need to change the name of our sacred Memorial Stadium, a $4 billion public asset, at a $3.9 billion discount, for just one man. Jim French Freeport 815-291-9071

"Not a Donaton. Just Bought. And Sold." These are the words which will be printed under the headline, "Memorial Stadium." Our ad is scheduled to run on page 3 of the News Gazette on Saturdays through August, and on Thursday, Septmber 3. Kindly share this update with others. Thank you for your continued support. Call or text Memorial Stadium Society (MSS) at 815-291-9071. Sincerely, Jim French, Liaison Officer.

Today through this weekend, August 9, we are running a two-part advertisement in the News-Gazette highlighting a simple but important fact: the University of Illinois is the only college or university in America to have renamed a World War I memorial after it had been rededicated to honor those who died in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Memorial Stadium was originally dedicated to the 189 University of Illinois students and alumni who gave their lives in World War I and was later rededicated to include the 948 Illini who died in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Changing the historic name of that rededicated memorial diminishes the very history and purpose for which Memorial Stadium was created. We also received some good news this week. It appears that Memorial Stadium is going to receive federal protection in keeping with the guidelines for the National Register of Historic Places. That process is ongoing, but Memorial Stadium appears to qualify because of its history, its association with significant events, and its architectural significance. As this controversy continues, we are becoming increasingly concerned that the continuing failure to achieve pristine compliance with applicable state statutes is beginning to diminish the value and reputation associated with an Illinois degree. We wanted you, the 331 people who have signed our petition, to know what we are doing to bring this issue to public attention and to thank you for standing with us. We will continue to keep you informed as this effort moves forward.

We want to begin by offering our sincere thanks to our 350+ supporters, both online and on paper. Together with your 144 deeply moving comments, we have built a powerful, united front. Our research has just confirmed something truly historic: Illinois is the only university in the entire country that has commercialized and changed the name of a stadium built specifically as a memorial to soldiers killed in World War I. On this issue, the University of Illinois administration stands completely alone.We are already seeing incidental signs of their hesitation. On the west side of the stadium, the university recently junked their massive standalone commercial signage. While it is just a first step, it proves they are feeling the pressure because they know the public is against them. To press this advantage, we have bypassed the university's bureaucratic wall entirely. A tracked, high-security UPS package is being delivered today directly to the corporate headquarters of the man responsible for this disgrace, demanding a formal meeting with his legal staff. We will keep you informed the moment we receive a response. Thank you for standing with us to protect the sacred memory of the 189 fallen. Please call or text Jim French, MSS Liaison Officer, at 815-291-9071 for media inquiries. “We honor those who died; we are thankful for those who lived.”

As we look ahead, the Memorial Stadium Society is sharpening the legal pressure. We want to share our current and upcoming newspaper ads with you so you can track our progress: We are publishing for the first time the precise citation of the laws we believe are being broken. 760 ILCS 55/15 § (a)(1), (4) We believe it is impossible for the university to legally defend a name change under any circumstances. Sincerely, Jim French Call or text 815-291-9071

In our July 4th update, we showed the visual contradiction at the stadium itself. Today we must confront something far more serious: the University is publishing one of the largest historical inaccuracies ever written about Memorial Stadium. 1. The central falsehood The University’s new guide site claims that “Gies Memorial Stadium was built in 1923.” This is a falsehood — one of the largest historical inaccuracies ever published about Memorial Stadium, because it rewrites the stadium’s origin story. Memorial Stadium was built and dedicated as Memorial Stadium in 1923–1924. The name “Gies Memorial Stadium” did not exist until 2025. 2. The donor count correction The same guide page claims that 200,000 people funded the stadium. The documented historical number is 21,000 donors — students, alumni, and Illinois citizens who gave specifically to build a war memorial honoring 189 fallen Illini from World War I. 3. Our News‑Gazette ad Our new ad — approved by the News‑Gazette — states plainly that the new name hurts families. This wording is now running publicly because it reflects what we are hearing from families who visit the memorial columns to honor their fallen relatives. 4. Reporting to the Charitable Trust Bureau We have submitted screenshots of these inaccurate University web pages to the Illinois Attorney General’s Charitable Trust Bureau as an addendum. These pages illustrate self‑dealing and a failure to comply with the original purpose intended by the 21,000 donors who built Memorial Stadium. 5. Our commitment We remain committed to historical accuracy and to honoring the memorial’s true heritage — a heritage built not on commercial branding, but on the sacrifice of 189 Illinois students and alumni who gave their lives in World War I. 6. If you want to learn more You are welcome to call Jim French at 815‑291‑9071 for more about the Memorial Stadium Society.

This weekend, on page C8, the News-Gazette is publishing our official letter exposing the university's deception, titled "UI dishonorable about stadium." Right now, a massive contradiction stands in Champaign-Urbana. The administration claims they are respecting our 189 fallen WWI heroes, but their own signage tells a completely different story.We challenge you to a 4th of July Weekend Treasure Hunt: Drive past the stadium today or tomorrow. Look up with your own eyes. You will see giant orange letters spelling G-I-E-S that are four times larger than the smaller blue letters spelling "Memorial Stadium."By every rule of visual hierarchy, the commercial transaction dominates, and our sacred war memorial is forced underneath. The physical truth cannot be hidden by administrative public relations. How You Can Take Action Today:1 . Share this Challenge: Copy this update and text it to 5 fellow alumni, friends, or veterans. Tell them to look at the stadium this weekend. 2. Call the Society: If you see the visual discrepancy and want to join our legal efforts with the Illinois Attorney General's Charitable Trust Bureau, call us directly at 815-291-9071. 3. Demand Change: Sign this petition to help us simply restore the name of Memorial Stadium. However, if a university administration permits deception regarding its own war memorial and betrays its own honored history, the resignation of those responsible would seem in order. We should not protect administrators who compromise a sacred monument, and we need leadership focused strictly on honoring our 189 fallen heroes.

As our ad appears in the News-Gazette, many in the University community—students, faculty, and staff alike—are quietly aware of what has happened but unsure how to respond. The scale of the campus alone makes this understandable: 34,000 undergraduates, 20,500 graduate students, and 31,000 faculty and staff live and work under a name that was changed without their involvement. Many are uneasy when internal documents are used to justify actions that touch state law. The internal rulebooks cited—the University of Illinois Statutes and The General Rules Concerning University Organization and Procedure—guide internal procedure, but they have no bearing on Illinois law. They cannot override statutes governing charitable trusts, donor intent, or the legal protection of war memorials. Using internal rules to change the name of Memorial Stadium does not legitimize the action. The University has made it plain that this name change was a commercial transaction, not an act of philanthropy. It was, in essence, a classic if/then contract: if one man's name were placed above Memorial Stadium, the money would follow. Many employees may now feel vulnerable or unsure of what they are allowed to say. But on their own time and using their own devices, they remain free to express their views as private citizens. If you believe Memorial Stadium should once again be known simply as Memorial Stadium, say so. On your own time. On your own devices. Respectfully, but without apology. Is this what we've come to in Illinois? Is this fair? Are we really going to place the name of one man—who bought his way to the top—on our Memorial Stadium, while everyone else sacrificed their lives to even have their names there?

Dear Memorial Stadium Supporters, After nine months of pressure, the university’s public relations campaign has stalled. They hoped we would grow tired and quietly accept their narrative, but we won't. As many of you have pointed out, this was not a donation at all, just a commercial transaction. While the university's corporate spin machine has gone quiet, our legal fight is actively moving forward behind closed doors where facts actually matter.On March 25, Bureau Chief Kristin Louis confirmed that the Illinois Attorney General’s Charitable Trust Bureau is conducting a formal review of our complaint. Charitable trust reviews routinely take four to six months. Our review is only three months old. State audits of a $100 million contract take time, and the university’s lawyers are using every procedural delay available to them. They cannot outlast the State of Illinois, and they cannot run away from their legal obligations. The state is investigating whether the University Foundation breached its fiduciary duty to the historical trust created between 1921 and 1924, when thousands of citizens signed pledge cards for the explicit "original purpose" of building a "Memorial Stadium" to honor their fallen classmates. We successfully cleared the first major legal hurdle. Thank you for your continued dedication to preserving the pure memory of our honored dead. We honor those who died, we are thankful for those who lived. Sincerely, Jim French The Memorial Stadium Society Please call for more verification, especially if you would like the 48 page and 35 page PDF's of 1921-1924 fund-raising campaign. 815-291-9071 .

Dear Memorial Stadium Supporters, After nine months of pressure, the university’s public relations campaign has stalled. They hoped we would grow tired and quietly accept their narrative, but we won't. As many of you have pointed out, this was not a donation at all, just a commercial transaction. While the university's corporate spin machine has gone quiet, our legal fight is actively moving forward behind closed doors where facts actually matter.On March 25, Bureau Chief Kristin Louis confirmed that the Illinois Attorney General’s Charitable Trust Bureau is conducting a formal review of our complaint. Charitable trust reviews routinely take four to six months. Our review is only three months old. State audits of a $100 million contract take time, and the university’s lawyers are using every procedural delay available to them. They cannot outlast the State of Illinois, and they cannot run away from their legal obligations. The state is investigating whether the University Foundation breached its fiduciary duty to the historical trust created between 1921 and 1924, when thousands of citizens signed pledge cards for the explicit "original purpose" of building a "Memorial Stadium" to honor their fallen classmates. We successfully cleared the first major legal hurdle. Thank you for your continued dedication to preserving the pure memory of our honored dead. We honor those who died, we are thankful for those who lived. Sincerely, Jim French The Memorial Stadium Society Please call for more verification, especially if you would like the 48 page and 35 page PDF's of 1921-1924 fund-raising campaign. 815-291-9071 .

Hello — this is Jim and Gwynne French from the Memorial Stadium Society. Thank you again for signing the petition and standing with us. We want to share with you the two statutory duties that govern Memorial Stadium under Illinois law, because they go directly to the heart of this issue. The controlling statutory duties are found in Section 15 of the Charitable Trust Act: “To avoid self‑dealing and conflicts of interest.” (760 ILCS 55/15(a)(1)) “To adhere and conform the charitable organization to its charitable purpose.” (760 ILCS 55/15(a)(4)) These two duties go directly to the heart of Memorial Stadium. The original charitable purpose was to create a war memorial honoring the fallen Illini by name. Any alteration of that purpose — including a naming change — requires clear legal authority. To date, none has been identified. We encourage you to share this update with as many people as possible. If you have questions, please call Jim French at 815‑291‑9071.

Hello — this is Jim and Gwynne French from the Memorial Stadium Society. Thank you again for signing the petition and standing with us. We want to share with you the two statutory duties that govern Memorial Stadium under Illinois law, because they go directly to the heart of this issue. The controlling statutory duties are found in Section 15 of the Charitable Trust Act: “To avoid self‑dealing and conflicts of interest.” (760 ILCS 55/15(a)(1)) “To adhere and conform the charitable organization to its charitable purpose.” (760 ILCS 55/15(a)(4)) These two duties go directly to the heart of Memorial Stadium. The original charitable purpose was to create a war memorial honoring the fallen Illini by name. Any alteration of that purpose — including a naming change — requires clear legal authority. To date, none has been identified. We encourage you to share this update with as many people as possible. If you have questions, please call Jim French at 815‑291‑9071.