CHAMPAIGN — With two more payouts totaling $625,000, University of Illinois athletics is closing the door on an expensive year of accusations, investigations and coaching shake-ups.
The UI announced Tuesday it had reached settlements in two cases:
— A $250,000 one-time payment to former football coach Tim Beckman, who was fired in August after a preliminary investigation concluded he pressured athletes to play with injuries.
— A $375,000 settlement with seven former women’s basketball players, who had filed a $10 million lawsuit alleging that head coach Matt Bollant and former assistant Mike Divilbiss created a racially hostile environment.