These are gaping potholes outside the athletic department office today at Illinois. For good reasons, committing the budget to $4 million this coming year in pay for newly hired football assistants is far more important. But the potholes clearly suggest that Illinois does not have enough money to do everything first-class. What are the implications for non-revenue sports? Will Illinois pay top-10 salaries for their head coaches and assistants? Upgrade their facilities? Will women share in the same wealth as men? What happens if Illinois' “bold” hiring move has the results of Texas, a program that has gone 6-7 (2014) and 5-7 (2015) after committing $25 million in a five year deal to a new head coach? The new coaching staff landed two top-20 classes, but produced sub-par results on the field. Here’s hoping that the new hires lift all Illinois boats, and fill in the potholes. In the meantime, drive carefully.
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