Steven Godfrey’s riveting account of the Ole Miss scandal and the weird FBI probe into college basketball inspired us to take a look back at the times the Illini found themselves in the NCAA’s crosshairs.
The crippling 1960s Slush Fund Scandal
In the 1960s, the Illini had re-emerged as a force in football, winning the 1964 Rose Bowl. Then, in 1966, Illini basketball was off to a promising start, after beating Kentucky in Lexington, and on its way to challenging for a Big Ten title.
The good times came to a screeching halt in December of 1966 when then University of Illinois president, David Henry, was made aware of a slush funded by Illini Boosters.