September 16, 2026
Loren Tate (BS ’53, journalism) was named the recipient of the University of Illinois Alumni Association’s 2026 Lou Liay Spirit Award. Established in 1997, the Lou Liay Spirit Award is presented to those who have consistently demonstrated extraordinary spirit and pride in support of the university, the Alumni Association, and related organizations, exemplifying a positive image of their Alma Mater while inspiring loyalty and pride in their fellow alumni.
Tate has covered Fighting Illini athletics since 1966, when he became a sportswriter, sports editor, and columnist for the The News-Gazette in Champaign. Although he’s been technically retired for nearly three decades, Tate continues to work for the paper as a contract writer.
Tate also has a considerable radio broadcast career related to Illini sports. He provided color commentary for men’s basketball from 1968 to 2001, called football games for several years, and appears regularly on the local station WDWS to discuss the highs and lows of Illinois athletics.
Tate, who authored A Century of Orange and Blue (2004) and Tatelines (2008), was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1974 and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Hall of Fame in 2021. He also has a street named after him—the street adjacent to the former News-Gazette building was named Loren Tate Way by the City of Champaign.
The Lou Liay Spirit Award, which is bestowed upon alumni by the University of Illinois Alumni Association on behalf of the University of Illinois, was named in honor of Lou Liay, EDM ’62, executive director of the UI Alumni Association from 1983 to 1998.
Tate, along with nine other alumni awardees, will be honored at the UIAA’s 2026 Alumni Awards Gala on October 1 at Pear Tree Estate in Champaign, in conjunction with Homecoming Week, September 27-October 3.
Share on social