'A house of brick': New documentary honors 100 years of Memorial Stadium’s legacy

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Illini fans and alumni have plenty to celebrate this week. 

Not only is the football team 5-1, but this weekend marks the 100th anniversary of its home, Memorial Stadium in Champaign.

"Memorial Stadium has really given so much throughout its 100 years. It really deserves to be celebrated," said Kaitlin Southworth, the producer of a new documentary airing on the Big Ten network called "A House of Brick: 100 years of Memorial Stadium" which explores the long history of the home of the Illini. 

The stadium was dedicated in October 1924. It had 70,000 seats and was built for a total of $2 million. But not a penny of it was public money. 

"It was a self-made stadium," said Southworth. "It was really built by the alumni and the students at the time. It was 21,000 people who donated. No state funds whatsoever."

The dedication game was one to remember, as the "Galloping Ghost" Red Grange ran for four touchdowns in the first 12 minutes. 

The Illini snapped Michigan's 20 game unbeaten streak. 

"And it really made (Grange) a superstar in the world of college sports," said Southworth. "And it really put a highlight on our campus."

Like Chicago's Soldier Field, designed by the same architect, Memorial Stadium is first and foremost a war memorial. The names of fallen soldiers are inscribed on its columns. 

"We wanted something on our campus to pay homage to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for World War I," said Southworth.

In addition to football, Memorial Stadium has hosted a variety of events over the years, most notably the original Farm Aid concert in 1985. 

The stadium also spurred the development of hard roads between Chicago and Champaign, served as a radar lab in the 1950s and was briefly the home of the Bears while Soldier Field was rebuilt.

And with its own rebuild within the past 20 years, Memorial Stadium should continue to anchor the Illini for another century. 

"If you build a house of brick, it's going to be strong. It's going to stand the test of time," said Southworth. 

The documentary begins running on the Big Ten network this week. 

This weekend there will be a re-dedication ceremony for Memorial Stadium as Illinois hosts Michigan exactly 100 years and one day after the famous Red Grange game.