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Wednesday morning update:
Differences of opinion between Peoria Charter and football staff were not the main driver of the decision to switch charters, UI Division of Intercollegiate Athletics spokesman Derrick Burson told The News-Gazette.
“We utilize the services of Anthony Travel to coordinate travel logistics for all of our athletic teams,” Burson said. “As the needs of our programs have grown, we asked Anthony Travel to help identify a transportation partner offering the highest level of service. Following that review, Windstar Lines was the clear choice because of its scale and reputation for quality service.”
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URBANA — Peoria Charter’s CEO says his company was abruptly notified last month that the University of Illinois athletic department was ending its two-decade transportation partnership — with little explanation as to why.
Peoria Charter, which has a hub in Urbana, has been providing transportation for UI athletics for “20 proud years,” said CEO James Wang.
He said he was initially notified by a UI football staff member — whom he declined to name — about the decision.
“We helped out Purdue with a couple trips, and then a couple weeks later, I got a cellphone call ... to tell me that ... all of our athletics are being canceled, and they’re going with another carrier,” Wang said.
Wang said he was surprised that there was no mention of his company’s existing contract, which was set to expire in 2025.
Wang said he wasn’t able to ask a lot of questions, as he was overseas when he received the call. After thanking the official for letting him know and saying that Peoria Charter would be there if ever needed, Wang said he was told, “Well, now you can go help out your Purdue friends better, easier.”
“What a response,” Wang said.
The UI’s Division of Intercollegiate Athletics confirmed in a statement that it is switching to an Iowa-based company.
“DIA appreciates Peoria Charter for the many years of service it has provided our teams. Following a comprehensive review of our current and future transportation needs, we are excited to partner with Windstar Lines and look forward to receiving the highest level of service and reliability it offers throughout the Big Ten footprint,” the statement said.
Windstar Lines is headquartered in Carroll, Iowa, and operates 165 “luxury motorcoaches” and buses from a dozen locations across the country, including Rockford.
“Losing the athletic accounts, it’s going to hurt,” Wang said. “It’s going to sting.”
He added that they are continuing to provide transport for other UI departments, and had good relationships with athletics officials in the past.
“We’ve always had the closest relationship with (the UI), especially with football,” Wang said.
Mike Peterik, direct of operations at Peoria Charter’s Urbana branch, said there were a couple of disagreements that arose during a March meeting with UI’s football operations staff.
“We had a breakdown, a bus mechanical failure,” he said. “And they wanted us to promise them zero breakdowns moving forward — which, if anyone promises that, there’s no way they can keep that, because mechanical components fail. So we did not promise that we would do that.”
Another issue that arose during the meeting dealt with bus decals, he said. Peoria Charter previously had buses wrapped with “Fighting Illini” decals, but these vehicles could no longer be used under the contract due to their age.
“We were asking them to pay for the wrap as they had in the past,” Peterik said.
Peterik said that while the loss of the athletics accounts will have an impact on business, the company will continue working with other UI departments.
“All of UI, all other departments, business and wheelchair athletics and geology and physics and everyone else, as far as I know, is still using us, so that’s going to be a big help,” he said.
He added that he feels confident Peoria Charter will be able to replace the business they’ve lost. However, he added that the university’s decision affects more than just the company.
“It’s going to impact the local economy as well, because we’re going to have to change the way we operate and how many people we can employ and things like that if we do lose business,” he said.
