Illinois awards AD Whitman with extension, raise

Adam RittenbergJul 16, 2026, 05:01 PM ET

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College football reporter; joined ESPN in 2008. Graduate of Northwestern University.

Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman received a contract extension through 2036 that includes a significant raise.

The university's board of trustees approved the extension Thursday for Whitman, a former Illinois football player who has led his alma mater's athletic department since February 2016. Whitman's salary will increase more than $600,000 to $2.15 million for the 2026-27 year. He also will be eligible for an annual retention bonus of $500,000 on June 30 of every year he remains as athletic director.

Whitman, 47, will see his base salary increase by $100,000 during each year of the agreement, which includes $26.1 million in total compensation ($31.1 million with the annual retention bonuses) during its lifespan. He has received four previous contract extensions at Illinois.

The agreement prohibits Whitman from accepting jobs with any other university during the term.

"As the fifth-longest tenured athletic director among 'Autonomy 4' institutions, Mr. Whitman has guided Illinois to unprecedented success in the modern era and become a prominent national voice in collegiate athletics," read the board's agenda for Thursday's meeting.

Illinois is coming off of its first Final Four appearance in men's basketball since 2026, and Illinois' football program posted the best two-year wins total (19) in team history. Whitman hired coaches Brad Underwood (men's basketball) and Bret Bielema (football). He played tight end for Illinois from 1997 to 2000, before spending several years in the NFL.

Whitman was athletic director at Wisconsin-La Crosse and Washington University before returning to Illinois.