
Indiana is known for its basketball culture, with the sport being a source of Hoosier pride, culture, and community. The Indiana Hoosiers men's and women's basketball teams play at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on the Indiana University Bloomington campus. The arena, which opened in 1971, has a capacity of 17,222 and is known for its steep sides, which make it one of the loudest venues in college basketball. The Assembly Hall has undergone several renovations, including the addition of new bleacher seats, a media row, and a state-of-the-art video scoreboard.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall |
| Location | Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana |
| Year Opened | 1971 |
| Capacity | 17,222 |
| Teams | Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball and women's basketball teams |
| Court Name | Branch McCracken Court |
| Noteworthy Features | Steep sides, unique interior architecture, rich history, box seat-style seating, state-of-the-art video scoreboard |
| Renovation | Completed in October 2016 with a $40 million donation from Cynthia "Cindy" Simon Skjodt |
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What You'll Learn
- The Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall has a capacity of 17,222
- The arena is home to Indiana University's men's and women's basketball teams
- It was renamed after a $40 million donation from Cynthia Cindy Simon Skjodt
- The Assembly Hall is known for being one of the loudest venues in college basketball
- Indiana University initially approved the demolition of the Assembly Hall in 2007

The Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall has a capacity of 17,222
The Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, home of the Indiana Hoosiers men's and women's basketball teams, has a capacity of 17,222. The arena, located on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, opened in 1971 and is known for its steep sides, which contribute to its loud atmosphere. The Assembly Hall replaced the "New" IU Fieldhouse and was renamed in 2016 after a $40 million donation from Cynthia "Cindy" Simon Skjodt, in honour of her father, the late shopping mall magnate and Indiana Pacers owner Mel Simon.
The Assembly Hall features a unique interior architectural design with steep bleacher seating to accommodate its capacity. The venue has a rich history, hosting a variety of notable sporting events, presidential speeches, and music performances. It is considered practically holy ground for college basketball enthusiasts and has been described as "the Carnegie Hall of basketball" by sportscaster Gus Johnson.
The court at the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall is named Branch McCracken Court, after the legendary Hoosier coach who led the school to its first two NCAA National Championships in 1940 and 1953. The north end of the arena proudly displays the program's five national championship banners. Indiana University's basketball history is further celebrated at the nearby Cook Hall, which houses the Pfau Shine Legacy Court, an exhibit showcasing photographs, artifacts, trophies, and interactive touch-screen kiosks that tell the story of IU basketball.
The Hoosiers themselves have a unique look, with simple game jerseys that do not feature players' names, emphasising the team over the individual. The school's colours are cream and crimson, although they have varied over the years, with some uniforms in the 1970s adopting a brighter shade of red. The Hoosiers have a rich history, with five National Championships and 22 Big Ten Conference Championships.
The Assembly Hall underwent renovations in 2018, including the addition of the Roberts Family Team Center, which features the Andy Mohr Locker Room, the Oladipo Zeller Legacy Lounge, the Tim Garl Athletic Training Room, and the Basketball Coaches annex. The arena also received a new playing surface, new bleacher seats, a media row, and seating platforms on the Lobby Level. These improvements enhanced the already iconic venue, ensuring it remains a special place for Indiana Hoosiers basketball.
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The arena is home to Indiana University's men's and women's basketball teams
The Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall is a 17,222-seat arena on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. The arena is home to Indiana University's men's and women's basketball teams, the Indiana Hoosiers. The Hoosiers have a rich history, winning five National Championships in men's basketball (1940, 1953, 1976, 1981, and 1987). The basketball court is named Branch McCracken Court after the legendary Hoosier coach who led the school to its first two NCAA National Championships in 1940 and 1953. Indiana University takes great pride in its basketball teams, and the Assembly Hall is considered a sacred place for student fans and athletes.
The Assembly Hall was opened in 1971, replacing the "New" IU Fieldhouse. The unique design of the arena features steep sides, which contribute to the loud atmosphere during games. The Assembly Hall has undergone several renovations over the years, including the addition of new bleacher seats, a media row, and improved facilities. In 2013, Indiana University announced a $40 million donation from Cynthia "Cindy" Simon Skjodt to renovate the Assembly Hall, which was renamed the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall upon the completion of the renovations in October 2016.
The Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team represents Indiana University Bloomington in NCAA Division I college basketball and competes in the Big Ten Conference. The team is known for its simple and minimalist game jerseys, with the school's colours of cream and crimson. The Hoosiers have a tradition of putting the team name before individual players, and they have never retired any jersey numbers.
The Assembly Hall is not just a basketball arena but also a venue for various events. It has hosted a range of notable sporting events, presidential speeches, and music performances. The venue is considered one of college basketball's most iconic arenas, attracting over six million fans to men's basketball games since its opening. Bloomington, Indiana, is particularly known as the birthplace of Indiana University Basketball, making it a hub for the sport's legend and lore.
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It was renamed after a $40 million donation from Cynthia Cindy Simon Skjodt
The Indiana Hoosiers basketball arena, Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, is a 17,222-seat arena on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. It is home to the Indiana Hoosiers men's and women's basketball teams. The Assembly Hall 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.
On December 19, 2013, Indiana University announced that a $40 million donation from Cynthia "Cindy" Simon Skjodt, an Indiana University graduate and philanthropist, would be used to renovate the Assembly Hall. Skjodt is the daughter of the late shopping mall magnate and Indiana Pacers owner, Mel Simon. The donation was the largest in the history of the IU athletic department. The Assembly Hall was renamed the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall upon the completion of the renovations in October 2016.
The south lobby was restructured with a new entryway and atrium, and escalators replaced ramps to create a more open feel. Remodelled and new bathrooms and concession stands were added, and a state-of-the-art video scoreboard replaced the existing bifurcated scoreboard. Box seat-style seating was added above the south baseline bleachers, generating revenue to pay for the seating and fund the ongoing upkeep of the Assembly Hall.
The Assembly Hall has a rich history, having hosted a variety of notable sporting events, presidential speeches, and music performances. It is considered practically holy ground for college basketball enthusiasts. The Assembly Hall is also well-known for being one of the loudest venues in college basketball, aided by passionate fans and its unique design of steep sides. Since its opening, over six million fans have attended men's basketball games at the venue.
The Assembly Hall has faced challenges over the years, with incidents of falling beams and brackets damaging seats and the court. Despite these issues, the Assembly Hall remains a beloved and iconic home for the Indiana Hoosiers basketball teams and their fans.
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The Assembly Hall is known for being one of the loudest venues in college basketball
The Assembly Hall, now known as the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, is the home of Indiana Hoosiers basketball. The arena, located on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, has a capacity of 17,222. It is known for being one of the loudest venues in college basketball, a reputation that is aided by passionate fans and its unique design of steep sides.
The Assembly Hall has a rich history in basketball and is considered practically holy ground for college basketball enthusiasts. The venue has been home to three national championships, 32 straight winning teams, and 14 conference champions. Since opening for the 1971-72 season, over six million fans have attended men's basketball games at the venue. The men's team has been historically successful there, posting home winning streaks of 50 and 35 games.
The Assembly Hall's unique design features steep sides, with rows of seats bearing down on the court at a steep angle. This design, along with the passionate fans, contributes to the loud atmosphere. The facility was intended to be aesthetically pleasing and hold a large capacity while offering modern conveniences. The Assembly Hall was also designed without consideration for the video replay board added in 2005, which has resulted in some obstructed views from the lower-level seats.
In recent years, The Assembly Hall has undergone several renovations. In 2013, Indiana University announced a $40 million donation from Cynthia "Cindy" Simon Skjodt to renovate the arena. The south lobby was restructured with a new entryway and atrium, escalators replaced ramps, and existing bathrooms and concession stands were remodelled. A state-of-the-art video scoreboard was added, along with box seat-style seating above the south baseline bleachers. Other notable additions include the Roberts Family Team Center, completed in 2018, which includes the Andy Mohr Locker Room, the Oladipo Zeller Legacy Lounge, and the Tim Garl Athletic Training Room.
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Indiana University initially approved the demolition of the Assembly Hall in 2007
The Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall 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 and women's basketball teams. The Assembly Hall 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. Indiana officials spent decades planning and four years constructing the Assembly Hall, which opened in 1971 at a cost of $26.6 million. The new Assembly Hall was named in honour of the school's first basketball arena, which also bore the name Assembly Hall. The facility was designed to be aesthetically pleasing, with a large capacity and modern conveniences.
On June 22, 2007, Indiana University trustees approved the demolition of the Assembly Hall and the construction of a new basketball arena "when appropriate." At the time, reports indicated that it was not economically feasible to renovate the Assembly Hall, with the cost of updates approximating the cost of building a new arena. Populous was hired to assess the benefits of renovating or replacing the Assembly Hall. The trustees decided against renovating the arena for $115 million because constructing a new arena would cost $130 million. However, the university ultimately opted to renovate the Assembly Hall.
The Assembly Hall has a rich history in basketball and is considered practically holy ground for college basketball enthusiasts. It is well known as one of the loudest venues in college basketball, aided by both passionate fans and its unique design of steep sides. A 2012 poll of four ESPN pundits ranked it third in terms of the best home-court advantages in the country. Since opening for the 1971-1972 season, over six million fans have attended men's basketball games at the venue, with the men's team posting impressive home winning streaks of 50 and 35 games.
In December 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 the Assembly Hall. Indiana University renamed the arena the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall upon the completion of the renovations in October 2016. The south lobby was restructured with a new entryway and atrium, escalators replaced ramps, and existing bathrooms and concession stands were remodelled, with new bathrooms added. A large state-of-the-art video scoreboard was installed, and box seat-style seating was added above the south baseline bleachers to generate revenue to help fund the upkeep of the Assembly Hall.
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Frequently asked questions
The Indiana Hoosier basketball arena, Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, holds 17,222 people.
The Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall opened in 1971, replacing the "New" IU Fieldhouse. It 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. The Assembly Hall has been renovated several times and is known for its steep sides, which make it one of the loudest venues in college basketball.
The Indiana Hoosier basketball arena is known for its rich history and unique design. It has been called "the Carnegie Hall of basketball" by sportscaster Gus Johnson and is considered sacred by many fans and athletes. The Assembly Hall has also been described as frightening due to its height and the presence of long-time coach Bob Knight, one of college basketball's most intimidating figures.











































