Assembly Hall: Upgrading toughest Big Ten arena

When ESPN revealed their list of ten toughest places to win in the Big Ten, few were surprised to see Indiana secure the number one spot.

You can see the full list here.

Whether it is Martha the Mop Lady or the intensity brought by the largest student section in the nation, Assembly Hall is a near impossible place to play for road teams. To put it in perspective, Indiana still has a home win streak that stretches back to early March, 2015.

For everything that the Hall brings, it has its downsides, however. The balcony is comically high and toward the sides it cuts off part of your view. There are also about 5-10 rows of seats under the balcony where you simply cannot see the jumbotron, which displays all of the stats, scores, etc.

Let’s not even mention the giant steel beam that fell from the roof and landed in the stands just hours before a game was scheduled.

Nonetheless, Assembly Hall is such a historic building that it would be a crime to demolish. Luckily the university realized this last year when Indiana decided to pump $45 million into the new building, improving structural concerns as well as add an enormous glass atrium to the front. Floors will be replaced, concession stands and bathrooms will be improved, and the interior will turn the hall of fame portraits into an interactive digital display.

Consider it Assembly Hall 2.0. It will actually be named Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall upon completion – though most will refuse to add the first bit. Regardless, it was due for a much needed upgrade. The new project is predicted to add another 40 years to the building, but let’s hope for more. It will be a tragic day when Assembly is deemed unfit to host the Hoosiers.

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Barring a major setback, the Hoosiers should be playing their first home game at Assembly Hall. It wouldn’t be Indiana University basketball anywhere else. The renovated building should only boost attendance for those early games and make it an even more difficult place to play. At the very least, it will make for a more enjoyable experience for fans, if that’s possible.

It’s hard to tell what locals are more excited for – to finally be rid of the eye sore of construction that has plagued north side traffic for the last year, or being able to enjoy games from any seat in the house. The process has been a bit of a struggle and completion is eagerly awaited.

The Hoosier team that is set to christen the new Assembly Hall is an exciting one. The endless amounts of highlights are going to look spectacular on the upgraded video board. Perhaps enough to get those old Hoosier alumni out of their brand new seats. If not, the 7,800 students should be able to provide enough noise.