As a native of Elmhurst and a product of the University of Illinois, Ron Guenther is a living link between Champaign and the Chicago area.
Guenther, a standout two-way lineman during 1964-66, remembers wanting to add his name to the long list of Illini sports heroes.
“We talked a great deal about state pride and that Illinois was the place to be,” the 48-year-old athletic director said during a recent visit to Chicago.
That’s the sort of talk Guenther is trying to rekindle here by bringing Illini football and basketball to Chicago this year. He wants to raise the profile of Illinois athletics to the level where it was when he was deciding where to go to college.
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Guenther senses that Illinois has become only one of many options for Chicago-area recruits and fans. He wants it to be the main option.
“When (football coach) Pete Elliott and (basketball coach) Harry Combes left, they lost continuity,” Guenther said. “During the 1970s is when Michigan made its move.”
Michigan spread its name by combining winning football with the savvy sales strategies of then-Athletic Director Don Canham. Guenther, who has worked in private-sector marketing, thinks like a salesman. He often talks about Illinois athletics as a “product” that can help promote the university as a whole.
Guenther has worked this patch before. From 1983 to 1985, he was responsible for Chicago operations under former Illini Athletic Director Neale Stoner. Guenther’s specialty was fundraising; he tripled the number of Illinois donors.
“He knows the Chicago area,” said Ken Boyle of Downstate Chatham, president of Illinois’ board of trustees. “He’s very Chicago-oriented. He’s very valuable to the University of Illinois. This is his strong suit.”