Assembly Hall (Bloomington)

Assembly Hall
Branch McCracken Court
Location	1001 East 17th Street Bloomington, Indiana 47408-1590
Coordinates	39°10′51″N 86°31′19″W
Broke ground	1968
Opened	December 1, 1971
Owner	Indiana University Bloomington
Operator	Indiana University Bloomington
Surface	Hardwood
Construction cost	$26.6 million ($153 million in 2012 dollars)
Architect	Eggers & Higgins
Capacity	17,472 (2011-present) 17,456 (2001-2011) 17,357 (1976-2001) 16,746 (1973-1976) 16,666 (1971-1973)
Tenants
Indiana Hoosiers (NCAA) (1972–present)

Assembly Hall is a 17,472-seat arena on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. It is the home of the Indiana Hoosiers basketball teams. It opened in 1971 , replacing the current Gladstein 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 installed a new playing surface during the summer of 1995. New bleacher seats were added, as well, along with a media row and end seating platforms on Lobby Level. Assembly Hall is well known as being one of the loudest venues in college basketball.

Since opening for the 1971-72 season, over six million fans have attended men's basketball games. The men's team has been historically successful in this building, posting home winning streaks of 50 and 35 games.

The building has hosted the NCAA basketball tournament three times, with sub-regional games in 1977 and 1979, and the Midwest regional finals in 1981. In 1972, the Hall hosted games for the Indiana Pacers and the New York Nets during the American Basketball Association Championship.

New scoreboard

In 2005 the school completed construction of a state-of-the-art, $1.9 million scoreboard-video board. It is expected to pull in yearly advertising revenue without costing the athletics department any out-of-pocket expenses. Some Hoosier purists feared the new scoreboard and advertisements, which had never before been in Assembly Hall, would ruin the aura and aesthetics. IU Sports Properties, a division of Learfield Communications, which has exclusive media and advertising rights for IU athletics, paid for the scoreboard, and will recoup the cost from the advertising revenue.

Concerts and speakers

• Bob Hope and Petula Clark - Fall 1971 (Football Homecoming)
• Jesus Christ Superstar - Fall 1971
• The Jackson 5 and The Temptations - Spring 1972 (Little 500 Concert)
• Stephen Stills and Manassas - October 19, 1972
• Elton John - October 7, 1973
• Bob Dylan - February 3, 1974, with The Band and October 19, 2007, with Elvis Costello and Amos Lee
• Elvis Presley - June 27, 1974 and May 27, 1976
• Traffic - October 18, 1974
• Neil Young - 1974
• The Rolling Stones - July 26, 1975
• Jethro Tull - October 31, 1975
• The Who - November 30, 1975
• The Grateful Dead - October 30, 1977
• Yes - April 10, 1979
• The Eagles - Spring 1980
• Jackson Browne - September 14, 1980
• Molly Hatchet and Blue Öyster Cult - October 26, 1980
• Sting - February 24, 1988
• Brass Theatre, featuring The Canadian Brass - 1996
• Smashing Pumpkins - January 18, 1997
• Bill Gates - 1998
• The Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Foo Fighters - April 8, 2000
• Def Leppard - October 28, 2006, with Journey and Stoll Vaughan
• Former President of the United States Bill Clinton - April 2, 2008
• Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds - April 7, 2008
• Hillary Rodham Clinton - April 25, 2008
• Barack Obama - April 30, 2008
• Lil Wayne - April 12,2011

Criticisms

Assembly Hall has been criticized by some fans for its design. The facility has two main seating sections, to the east and west of the court, and twenty rows of bleachers north and south of the court behind the baskets. 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. The design also makes the stadium one of the loudest venues in college sports.

Assembly Hall Score/Replay Board, Added in 2005

Cook Hall

Populous of Kansas City and Moody-Nolan of Indianapolis designed the practice facility. It is adjacent to Assembly Hall and connected to it by an underground tunnel. It was dedicated on April 25, 2010.

Highlights of the facility include: 67,000 square feet (6,200 m²), coaches' offices, locker rooms, player lounges, meeting/video rooms new practice courts, training room and strength development area and a Legacy Court.

New arena

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 stadium for $115 million because construction of a new arena would cost $130 Million. Construction of the arena has not begun because funding has not been secured.

See also

• Indiana Hoosiers
• Indiana University Bloomington

References

39°10′51″N 86°31′19″W