Monday was a huge day for the future of Illinois football.

No, the Illini didn’t sign any 5-star recruits or make a huge addition to the coaching staff, but it was still a big day for the program. That’s because the final steel beam was put into place on the new Illinois Football Performance Center, another major step in the completion of the $80 million project.

Before the beam was set in place, athletic director Josh Whitman, head coach Lovie Smith and the entire Illini football team signed their name to it.

https://twitter.com/LovieSmith/status/1026515876189798401

The announcement of the Performance Center came in June 2017 with construction beginning earlier this year. The project — which cost an estimated $79.2 million — is expected to be finished prior to the start of the 2019 season.

Illinois believes that this new building will be among one of the nation’s best and will help create a better environment for student-athletes on campus.