By Britni Bateman
Southern Illinois University Carbondale celebrated the legacy of longtime Saluki supporter Jim Hayes on Thursday, Aug. 13, with the dedication and ribbon cutting of the newly renovated Jim Hayes Stadium Club at Saluki Stadium.
Family and friends gathered for the private event, which recognized a $1 million gift from Jamie and Netta Hayes to Saluki Athletics. The gift honors Jamie Hayes’ father, Jim Hayes, who came to SIU on a football scholarship in 1961 and remained a devoted supporter of the university throughout his life.
The gift helped revitalize the stadium club, one of Saluki Stadium’s premier gathering spaces. The renovation includes new premium chairback seating along the east side, new flooring and branded walls, an SIU Dawg Head ceiling, enhanced lighting, two permanent bars, a TV wall and new furniture. The space will serve Saluki fans on game days and provide a venue for university events, major announcements and football recruiting.
For Jamie Hayes, the dedication was an opportunity to honor the man who first introduced him to SIU.
“I wanted to do something special for my dad,” Hayes said. “I think it’s every kid’s dream to be able to honor his father in some way. I’m proud to be part of the SIU team.”
Jim Hayes played linebacker for the Salukis and earned the nickname “The Axe.” After graduating from SIU with a degree in education in 1962, he taught and coached football in Macomb before entering the automotive industry. He moved his family to Harrisburg in 1976 and founded Jim Hayes Inc., a car dealership now owned and operated by his son.
Jamie Hayes grew up attending Saluki basketball and football games with his father. He graduated from SIU in 1994 with a degree in speech communication and has continued his family’s tradition of supporting Saluki Athletics through charitable giving and partnerships through his business.
“He had a lot of great loves,” Hayes said of his father. “He loved his family, his business, his employees, his customers and SIU.”
Jim Hayes died in 2018, but his connection to SIU continues through his family and now through the stadium club that bears his name.
Saluki football coach Nick Hill got to know Jim Hayes during the final years of his life and remembered him as a consummate professional and loyal supporter of the program.
“He was a first-class individual,” Hill said. “I’m excited that his name will be here forever. I think Jim would be proud.”
Hill also praised the stadium club and the opportunities it will create for the football program.
“It’s a first-class facility,” he said. “It’s a great space that fans will be excited about. We’ll use it in recruiting, and I know Saluki fans will enjoy it for a long time.”
SIU Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Tim Leonard credited Jamie and Netta Hayes with believing in the future of Saluki Athletics and helping inspire others to invest in the program.
“We don’t measure ourselves by what we lack. We measure ourselves by what we build together,” Leonard said. “That’s what Jamie and Netta believe.”
Leonard said the Hayes family wanted its support to make an impact on the football program, the university and Southern Illinois.
“Jamie said, ‘I want to do something for our region. I want to do something for our university. But most importantly, I want to do something for this football program because it meant so much to my dad,'” Leonard said.
For Hayes, supporting SIU goes beyond athletics. As a Southern Illinois business owner, he views a strong university as an important part of the region’s future.
“When you’re from this region and you’re a business owner, you should cultivate a relationship with the university because the success of SIU, academically and athletically, can only help the region,” Hayes said.
He encouraged other alumni, businesses and community members to get involved as SIU continues building momentum.
“I think people in Southern Illinois sometimes take SIU for granted,” Hayes said. “Our campus and everything we have going on here rival any college in America. I think SIU is on the cusp of taking that next step.”
For Hayes, the evening came back to family and the Saluki tradition his father passed down to him.
“He brought me into the fold when it came to SIU, and this is a way of adding to his legacy,” Hayes said. “You have to bleed maroon no matter what.”
The Hayes family’s support is part of the Imagine SIU 2030 fundraising campaign, which has raised more than $485 million toward its $500 million goal with approximately two years remaining. The campaign is the fifth-largest fundraising effort in Illinois higher education and supports scholarships, academic programs, research, facilities and student success across SIU.
The dedication comes on the heels of a record year of support for Saluki Athletics. In fiscal year 2026, the department generated nearly $10.4 million in gifts and commitments, marking the most successful fundraising year in its history and setting multiple records as support for Saluki Athletics continues to grow.
Fans interested in access to the Jim Hayes Stadium Club can submit an interest form for more information.
To make a gift to Saluki Athletics, visit saluk.is/give. For more information about making a gift of any size or exploring naming opportunities, contact Kat Martin at katm@foundation.siu.edu or 815-757-0308.