Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall

Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall ( SCOTT), is a 17,222-seat arena on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. It is the home of the Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball and women's basketball teams. It opened in 1971, replacing the "New" IU Fieldhouse. The court is named after Branch McCracken, the men's basketball coach who led the school to its first two NCAA National Championships in 1940 and 1953. History Construction After $26.6 million and several years of planning and construction, Assembly Hall opened in 1971. The opening of the arena coincided with the debut of coach Bob Knight, who guided the Hoosiers for 29 seasons before his dismissal by then-IU president Myles Brand in September 2000. Assembly Hall has been criticized by some fans for its unique design. Because the facility was designed without consideration for the video replay board added in 2005 that currently hangs above center-court, some of the top rows of the lower level are obstructed from the replay board by the overhanging balcony. The entire court itself, however, is still viewable. In December 2013, 24 monitors were added to the areas that had previously been obstructed. Work was completed by Strauser Construction and Cassady Electric. In the fall of 2018, J.C. Ripberger Construction Corp completed the new Roberts Family Team Center which includes, the new Andy Mohr Locker Room, the Oladipo Zeller Legacy Lounge, the Tim Garl Athletic Training Room and the Basketball Coaches annex. Project was completed just prior to 2018 Hoosier Hysteria. Upgrades and improvements New bleacher seats were installed in 1995. Bob Knight feared that when he left Indiana, commercials would begin being played in the hall. Knight said, "You'll see a new Assembly Hall this year I'm sure. There will probably be ads in it for everything from dog biscuits to Pepsi Cola, I would imagine. We've always tried to keep it really free from commercialism. It's kind of a sacred place where students come to play and students come to cheer." In 2005, the school built a new scoreboard costing nearly $2 million, to mixed reviews. Cook Hall, a new 67,000 square feet (6,200 m2) practice facility, was built near Assembly Hall in 2010. 2015 renovation and renaming On December 19, 2013, Indiana University announced that a $40 million donation from Cynthia "Cindy" Simon Skjodt, daughter of late shopping mall magnate and Indiana Pacers owner Mel Simon, would be used to renovate Assembly Hall. Indiana University renamed Assembly Hall the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall upon the completion of the renovations and improvements, which were completed in October 2016. Safety issues On February 18, 2014, an 8-foot (2.4 m) long beam over a foot wide fell and damaged the seats at Assembly Hall. The scheduled game for that day against the University of Iowa was postponed due to safety concerns in spite of multiple available arenas in Indiana. On January 28, 2023, a bracket over a foot long fell onto the court at Assembly Hall during halftime against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Atmosphere and success A 2012 poll of four ESPN pundits ranked it third in terms of best home-court advantages in the country. Since opening for the 1971–72 season, over six million fans have attended men's basketball games at Assembly Hall. The men's team has been historically successful there, posting home winning streaks of 50 and 35 games. During the 2015-2016 basketball season, both the men's and women's teams went undefeated at Assembly Hall, posting a combined 33–0 record at home. Men's home record by year OVERALL: 607-142 (.810) Proposed replacement On June 22, 2007, Indiana University trustees approved the demolition of Assembly Hall and the construction of a new basketball arena "when appropriate". Populous was hired to assess the benefits of renovating or replacing Assembly Hall. The trustees decided against renovating the arena for $115 million because construction of a new arena would cost $130 million. This idea was scrapped due to the university changing course and opting to renovate Assembly Hall. Events Bob Hope & Petula Clark – September 12, 1971 (Football Homecoming) Jesus Christ Superstar – Fall 1971 The Temptations – April 28, 1972 The Jackson 5 – April 29, 1972 Seals and Crofts – September 14, 1972 Stephen Stills – October 19, 1972, with Manassas Elton John – October 7, 1973 The Doobie Brothers – December 8, 1973 Bob Dylan – February 3, 1974, with The Band and October 19, 2007, with Elvis Costello and Amos Lee The Electric Light Orchestra – April 19, 1974, and November 7, 1981, with Hall & Oates Elvis Presley & The TCB Band – June 27, 1974, and May 27, 1976 The Beach Boys – September 1, 1974, with The Eagles and Kansas and October 17, 1981, with Red Rider John Denver – October 5, 1974 Traffic – October 18, 1974, with Fairport Convention Blue Öyster Cult – November 10, 1974, with Aerosmith and October 26, 1980, with Molly Hatchet Gordon Lightfoot – January 31 and April 5, 1975 The Rolling Stones – July 26, 1975 Jethro Tull – October 31, 1975 The Who – November 30, 1975 The Grateful Dead – October 30, 1977 Sub-regional NCAA basketball tournament games – 1977 and 1979 Genesis – April 9, 1978 Frank Zappa – September 24, 1978 Little Feat – October 1, 1978 Elvis Costello & The Attractions – April 10, 1979, with The Rubinoos Yes – April 10, 1979 Kansas – October 5, 1979, and September 19, 1982, with Survivor The Eagles – October 12, 1979 Jackson Browne – September 14, 1980 Midwest regional finals of the NCAA basketball tournament – 1981 Barry Manilow – October 6, 1981 ELO with special guest Hall & Oates – November 7, 1981 Neil Diamond – September 9, 1982 Dan Fogelberg – October 9, 1982 Phil Collins – January 29, 1983 Jimmy Buffett & The Coral Reefer Band – April 11, 1983 Neil Young – September 16, 1983, with The Shocking Pinks Chicago – December 4, 1984 Supertramp – October 12, 1985, with The Motels Sting – February 24, 1988 Bush – April 20, 1996, with No Doubt and The Goo Goo Dolls The Canadian Brass – August 19, 1996 The Smashing Pumpkins – January 18, 1997, with The Fountains of Wayne The Counting Crows – February 20, 1997 Bill Gates – October 12, 1998 Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – October 6, 1999 The Red Hot Chili Peppers – April 8, 2000, with The Foo Fighters and Muse John Mellencamp – November 3, 2002 Def Leppard – October 28, 2006, with Journey and Stoll Vaughan Bill Clinton – April 2, 2008 Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds – April 7, 2008 Hillary Clinton – April 25, 2008 Barack Obama – April 30, 2008 Lil Wayne – April 12, 2011, with Jeezy, Rick Ross and Nicki Minaj The Little 500 Concerts – April 12, 2011, and April 20, 2012 Afrojack – April 18, 2012 Macklemore – April 17, 2013 Lil Wayne – March 3, 2016 Luke Bryan and Brett Eldredge – February 17, 2017 Neil deGrasse Tyson – March 22, 2017 Daniel Tosh – April 18, 2017 First Four and First Round games of the NCAA basketball tournament – March 2021 2022 first and second-round games of the NCAA Women's Tournament See also Indiana–Kentucky rivalry Indiana–Purdue rivalry Illinois–Indiana men's basketball rivalry List of NCAA Division I basketball arenas List of indoor arenas in the United States List of music venues in the United States References External links Assembly Hall – Indiana University Athletics