Illinois Athletics Adds Rhino Sports to Enhance Gameday Staffing Initiatives
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (July 13, 2023) – The University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics has announced a partnership with Rhino Sports and Entertainment, a REVELXP Company, to provide event staffing and customer service for Illinois Athletics beginning Fall 2023. As part of the multi-year partnership, Rhino will recruit, hire, and train staff and customer service support. This marks the first Big Ten Conference school to partner with Rhino, which serves multiple universities throughout the ACC and Big 12 Conferences. State Farm Center events will continue to operate independently of this contract.
“We’ve already seen incredible growth in ticket sales heading into the 2023 season, which made this initiative even more important,” Director of Athletics Josh Whitman said. “Before fans enter Memorial Stadium each gameday, they encounter numerous representatives of our program who impact their parking and stadium entrance experience. And once inside, our staff remain a critical part of a memorable Illinois Athletics experience. Ensuring DIA is positioned to deliver the highest quality customer service is paramount to our promise of an exceptional overall gameday experience.”
Rhino will provide staffing services for a variety of event needs, including parking, gate staff, ushers, and field security at Illinois Football games.
“We are honored to partner with Illinois Athletics and bring our unsurpassed customer service to the university’s fans,” said Andrew Ward, Rhino Senior Vice President. “We hire directly from the communities that we serve and are proud to offer employment and training opportunities that support the university and athletics. Our staff will be integrated into the gameday experience and proudly support the Fighting Illini.”
Rhino is accepting applications for positions at the University of Illinois. Interested candidates can learn more and apply by mailing employmentillinois@rhino-ses.com or visiting www.rhinosportsandentertainment.com. Starting pay is $15 per hour, with certain positions receiving higher rates. Interviews and onboarding sessions will take place throughout the summer leading up to the 2023 season.