David Banks-Imagn Images
Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke (9) passes the ball over Northwestern Wildcats linebacker Mac Uihlein (37) during the first half at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium
Mac Uihlein was not a particularly sought-after recruit when he committed to Northwestern in 2020, but he’s had a solid career during his time with the Wildcats. The team’s decision to offer him a spot has paid off in more ways than one, as it ended up playing an instrumental role in a massive donation it recently received.
The world of shipping and packaging materials may not be the most glamorous industry, but it’s been a very lucrative one for Dick and Liz Uihlein, the couple who took advantage of the family money they had at their disposal to found Uline in 1980 before reaching billionaire status on the back of its success.
The Uihleins had three children, including Brian, a former tennis player at the University of Minnesota who has four kids of his own who were raised in the Chicago area.
That includes Mac Uihlein, who was a three-star (and, based on some assessments, a four-star) recruit listed as the 18th best overall player in the state of Illinois in the class of 2021. He attracted the attention of schools including Wisconsin, Iowa, and Louisville, but he ultimately decided to stay close to home by committing to Northwestern.
Uihlein (who was briefly teammates with his younger brother Logan) capped off his time with the Wildcats as a graduate student in 2025 while recording 101 tackles and snagging four interceptions while starting all of the 13 games he appeared in.
Northwestern certained benefitted from his play on the field, but his most noteworthy contribution may end up being the gift the team has received from his family.
The family of former Northwestern linebacker Mac Uihlein is donating $35 million to the football program
From what I can tell, the Uihlines didn’t have any tangible connection to Northwestern before Mac enrolled; his grandfather received his undergraduate degree from Stanford, while his grandmother graduated from Boston University.
Northwestern may not have had any ulterior motive when it came to courting him, but that decision has literally paid off more than six years after his initial commitment when you consider the school recently announced it has received a $35 million courtesy of his family.
The Wildcats are gearing up to enter a new era as they gear up for their first season at the $850 million stadium dubbed Ryan Field, and the Uihleins said they will be paying out that massive amount of dough over the next three years to assist with “student-athlete development, operational priorities, recruiting, and strategic investments designed to position Northwestern Football for sustained success in the Big Ten and on the national stage.”
Dick and Liz cited the family’s status as “multigenerational Chicagoans” as a motivating factor while saying they wanted to “follow the lead” of Pat and Shirley Ryan, who leveraged their billionaire status to foot the bill for the stadium that bears their last name (Mac’s status as a former player was somewhat interestingly absent from the press release).
Must be nice.