CHAMPAIGN – Word first reached the street in early March, just about the time everyone was more concerned with Big Ten Conference basketball and March Madness.

In his first day on the job, Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman made a move toward building a champion, rather than sustaining mediocrity. By creating an opening at head coach and quickly filling it with Lovie Smith, Whitman declared he meant business.

On Monday, Whitman backed it up by announcing the continuation of the Illinois Renaissance. About a decade after Illinois rebuilt the west main grandstands and press box under former AD Ron Guenther, Whitman plans another massive renovation to rebuild the south end zone, including all new football offices and facilities, and update the east grand stands.

Whitman isn’t kidding when he says, #WeWillWin.

“There are a lot of things that go into building a championship caliber program,’’ Whitman said. “The most important thing is people. We made a great step in that direction in March with Coach Smith. The second part of that talk is about work we have planned to the south and east sides of the stadium. People are most important, but facilities attract people.

“They demonstrate a commitment from our administration and university to sustain a championship caliber program. That goes for attracting coaches and student athletes.’’

The project will cost roughly $130 million, and Whitman specifically announced there will be no corporate sponsor’s name on the building. It will remain Memorial Stadium.

“This is a big step forward,’’ Whitman said. “This was a project that started 10 years ago with the facilities we built in the north end zone and the west stands and in the building we stand in now (press box). When we finish, this building will be positioned for its next 100 years.’’

Plans call for finishing improvements to the football complex by 2019 with upgrades to stadium seating completed by 2020.

When Illinois hired a former Illini football player to lead the athletic department and followed that with a decisive move to land Lovie, then backed it up with another round of facility upgrades to the most important building in the department, Illinois showed a commitment to winning in football.

The Illini are going for it.

“As everybody saw when we made decisions we made this spring, there is a commitment to building champ program here at Illinois,’’ Whitman said.

It’s a message that will be marketed to recruits, donors, fans and, not to be forgotten, the media. The facility overhaul was even part of the recruiting pitch when Whitman first met with Lovie in Tampa last spring.

“I knew early on that it was part of the plan,’’ Lovie said, “but it’s good when it becomes official. I knew there was a commitment to having the best possible program we can have. Of course, that’s a part of it.

“That’s a little ways down the road. In the meantime, we will work on getting this football team better.’’

It’s early in the project. Illinois is just in the architect selection process and hopes to pick one by late fall, then the project must get serious with design decisions. Any renderings published for the internet are extremely preliminary, Whitman said. Plans should be complete in the spring of 2017. The demolition of the south end zone horseshoe should take place in the spring of 2018 with the construction continuing through the 2018 season.

The south end zone would reopen in 2019 and the renovation would be completed in time for the 2020 season. The work to the seating areas would include restroom upgrades, more concessions and elevators on the east side. With the likely addition of more seats to the south end and the possible reduction to seats on the east side, Memorial Stadium capacity should remain at just over 60,000, Whitman said.

In addition to the work on the stadium seating, Illinois will build a new football complex to improve spaces for coaches’ offices and meeting rooms, the locker room, sports medicine, weight room and recruiting areas. Plans are still evolving.

After visiting other stadiums, Whitman said Illinois ranks in the lower percentages of the Big Ten in football facilities. Iowa just finished an overhaul of its football complex. Even Purdue is building new digs, and Whitman saw Nebraska had an academic building for the athletic department about 20 yards from the football stadium. The most important thing is to make sure the Illini are smart in rebuilding. While the arms race never stops, the Illini can’t fall short, because that would mean there’s little chance to ever catch up.

It’s like buying new technology.

“As soon as you buy a new computer, it’s outdated,’’ Whitman said. “That’s why we need a significant step.’’

If the Illini want to compete for championships, they can’t do it with a stadium built from the success of Zuppke and Grange. In an era when players appreciate the extravagance of major college athletics and demand a first-class experience while fans must decide between sitting on a bleacher or sitting at home and watching the game on an 80-inch high definition screen with the brews a few steps away, it’s important to make the experience as enjoyable as possible for coaches, players, fans and, most importantly, boosters who foot much of the bill.

There have already been seven-figure donations toward the project, Illinois said.

Whitman reminded everyone that no state funds would be used in rebuilding the stadium. He would use department funds primarily from ticket sales, Big Ten revenue, corporate sponsorships and philanthropic streams. Just like the rest of the campus, the university’s athletic department must keep up with the competition.

So the groundwork has been laid by hiring a coach with experience at winning big, then followed up by a plan for a facility upgrade to bring that Illini back in touch with the rest of the competition in the Big Ten. An athletic director about 15 years removed from his playing days as an Illini tight end is going for it.

If you’re an Illinois football fan, these are interesting times. Whitman isn’t interested in coaching leftovers or just trying to compete. He wants to win. He wants to win big.

“Our goal is to be in position to compete for a national championship,’’ Whitman said.

John Supinie is a columnist for Orangeandbluenews.com. During the day, he’s an Audi Brand Specialist at Green Audi in Springfield. Call or text him at 217-377-1977 if you’re looking for an Audi, Volkswagen, Toyota or preowned car. Ask for the Illini deal.