CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The family of John and Anne Dossey has pledged a $5 million gift in their parents' names to fund the renovation and expansion of the Richard T. Ubben Basketball Complex. The donation increases the announced pledges for the project to $8 million.

The gift will create the John and Anne Dossey Student-Athlete Development Center inside the Ubben facility, honoring the couple who were both educators and placed a high level of importance on education and athletics. John Dossey received his Ph.D. from the Illinois College of Education in 1971. Although the project is still under design, it is anticipated that the center will include academic and study areas, nutrition and dining spaces, and the Ubben facility's new strength and conditioning complex.

"We are grateful to the Dossey family for this extremely generous and thoughtful gift," Director of Athletics Josh Whitman said. "The family explained to us that Anne and John have always prioritized education and holistic student development, and this new center, created in their name, will have a dramatic impact on the overall experience of our Fighting Illini men's and women's basketball student-athletes. We strive to identify meaningful connections between supporters of Illinois Athletics and particular opportunities that exist to make a lasting difference in our program, and the John and Anne Dossey Student-Athlete Development Center is a wonderful example of just such a collaboration."

The Dossey's son is a 1995 graduate with high honors of the Gies College of Business with a degree in accountancy. Originally from Eureka, Ill., he was also a four-year letterwinner jumper for the Fighting Illini track and field team.

 "We are so thankful to have the support of the Dossey family with their milestone gift toward the renovation of Ubben," Head Men's Basketball Coach Brad Underwood said. "They share in our vision of developing the complete student-athlete here at the University of Illinois, and this project will allow us to provide first-class areas for our players through study table and academic support, strength and conditioning, athletic training, and food and nutrition. The investment goes well beyond the basketball court and will be a benefit for our players every time they step inside the building."

The 20-year-old Ubben Basketball Complex will undergo a transformation that will more than double the square footage of the building. Improvements will benefit both the men's and women's programs and will include additional court space, state-of-the-art sports medicine facilities, an enhanced strength and conditioning area, study spaces, expanded staff offices, and modern student-athlete amenities in new locker rooms and team areas.

"The well-being of our Illini student-athletes is of the utmost importance, and this donation will have an incredible impact on their experiences here at Illinois," Head Women's Basketball Coach Nancy Fahey said. "This is another amazing example of Illini alumni paying it forward, and we are extremely thankful for this generous gift."

The Ubben renovation and expansion will add approximately 45,000 square feet to the existing structure, while remodeling more than 8,300 square feet of existing space. New office space and areas to host recruits and small groups will also be a part of the project. Two new half courts will be added to both the women's and men's current gym space, giving the two programs additional space to work on development while not disrupting full-court action. The project will feature a two-story strength and conditioning room, will triple the size of the locker rooms and player lounges, and include a state-of-the-art sports medicine area.

"It's always special to have former student-athletes support their Alma Mater," Senior Associate Athletics Director for Development Howard Milton said. "This gift helps to move us significantly closer to our goal of $30 million dollars raised and adds much needed momentum to our fundraising efforts."

The $30 million Ubben Basketball Complex expansion is a capital project included in the DIA's $300 million fundraising goal, which is part of "With Illinois," the $2.25 billion University-wide fundraising campaign.