UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS ATHLETICS and ICON Announce Dual Partnership with DESTIHL Brewery

DESTIHL’s ILL-IPA and Oskee Light Beers Debut Aug. 29 at Memorial Stadium in Season Opener

ICON Collective (‘ICON’) has partnered with DESTIHL Brewery – a Central Illinois regional brewery headquartered in Normal, IL and founded by Illinois alums – on the production of two new beers set to debut at the Illinois Football season opener against Eastern Illinois on August 29th.  ILL-IPA and Oskee Light, a premium light lager, will be available for purchase at Memorial Stadium, offering a new opportunity for fans to support the name-image-likeness (‘NIL’) efforts of ICON that benefit Fighting Illini student-athletes.  DESTIHL will also become a Proud Partner of University of Illinois Athletics through a new sponsorship agreement with Fighting Illini Sports Properties (‘FISP’).

ICON will receive a portion of revenue from the sale of DESTIHL's two Illini-themed beers, which will be available throughout football season at Memorial Stadium and basketball season at State Farm Center. In addition to Illinois’ athletic facilities, ILL-IPA and Oskee Light will soon be available at select bars, restaurants, and retail stores in the Champaign-Urbana area in early September.  Also, with DESTIHL’s strong distributor relationships throughout the State of Illinois, including Chicagoland, and about 40 states throughout the country and growing, these beers will also become available for those who want to support both Fighting Illini Athletics and ICON’s NIL efforts from afar.  DESTIHL’s Beer Finder can help fans find these products once they are fully released.

“As we enter year four of NIL, we continue to look for innovative ways to engage our fans and increase financial support for Fighting Illini student-athletes,” ICON President and CEO Kathleen Knight said. “We are pleased to partner with DESTIHL, an award-winning local brewer with ties to the University of Illinois, and to offer these festive Illini-themed beverages on gameday and beyond.”

“Fighting Illini Athletics is very excited to partner with DESTIHL Brewery,” said Rob Louthain, General Manager of Fighting Illini Sports Properties (‘FISP’).  “DESTIHL’s strong connection to the University in combination with its quality, sheer size and distribution reach will help ensure that Illinois alums from around the country get to enjoy these beers while supporting both Fighting Illini Athletics and our student-athletes”, continued Parish Mason, Manager - Business Development of FISP.

“We are proud to support Fighting Illini student-athletes and ICON through the creation and sale of ILL-IPA and Oskee Light,” said DESTIHL founder and CEO, Matt Potts.  “Orange and Blue runs deep through our family, with myself, my wife Lyn, and our two oldest children all being graduates of Illinois, along with extended family.  It’s a tremendous honor to apply our years of craft brewing to come full circle with this project for our fellow Illini fans and to enjoy these amazing beers together while rallying to support and cheer our Illini on to victory.”

For those looking for additional ways to support NIL efforts, ICON also offers individual and corporate memberships through the ICON for Illini and ICON Business Coalition programs.  Each membership program provides tangible and experiential benefits at all levels of giving.  NIL continues to be one of the most direct and immediate ways for fans to positively impact the Illinois athletic program and help the Illini gain and maintain a competitive advantage over their peers. Visit ICONforIllini.com or follow ICON on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook at @ICONforIllini.