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.

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.