📍 Bloomington, Indiana
🏀 Home of Indiana Hoosiers basketball

Itself an icon of college basketball, Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall has been the home of the legendary Indiana Hoosiers since it opened in 1971. The team, a powerhouse of the past, continues to don red and white to thrill fans overcome with Hoosier Hysteria here at this remarkable venue. Defined by sheer cliffs of seating that amplify noise and enhance the gameday environment, Assembly Hall’s one-of-a-kind architecture and often packed out crowds help it to persist as the Big Ten’s most intense atmosphere.

The prize of the small college city of Bloomington, it’s well-known that Indiana University is no stranger to success. Boasting dominant programs such as soccer, swimming & diving and football, the Hoosiers are a force to be reckoned with all around the Big Ten. In addition to serving as the home of IU’s basketball teams, Assembly Hall doubles as a museum and shrine for many of these athletic achievements. National championship plaques decorate the halls and trophy cases on either end of the main atrium preserve the school’s biggest hardware, while photos that seem to freeze great moments in Hoosier history hang from the walls and stairwells. Even IU Olympians get their own sanctum, showcased and organized by Olympiad.

But as a basketball cathedral, much of the focus at Assembly Hall remains relevant to the hardwood. Relics are everywhere for fans to see, from old center court floor tiles in the shape of the state of Indiana to a former scoreboard that’s been cut in half and displayed above the two main lobby stairwells, still functioning and actively updating with the live score from that day’s game.

Having been designed in a modernist style of sorts, the arena features a distinct concourse setup and several quirky passageways underneath the main foyers. These subterranean hallways offer glimpses into the Big Ten Network studio booth and the teams’ equipment room, in addition to providing access to the Hoosiers team store.

With a capacity of a little over 17,000, Assembly Hall is home to some of the steepest stands in college hoops, a result of the university’s adamancy that most of the seats run along the length of the court. The arena has come to be characterized by its crazy pitch, both in the angle of the seats and in the volume of the fans. As an added gameday bonus, the team lets fans down onto the floor post-game, offering them a chance to mingle with the players and snap photos with the iconic mid-court logo – a perk almost unheard of at this level.

The Hoosiers are five-time National Champions, claiming victory in ’40, ’53, ’76, ’81 and ’87. Their 1976 win over Michigan in the title game punctuated what remains the last undefeated season in all of Division I men’s basketball. In 2002, the team also finished as national runners-up after a loss to Maryland.

Overall, Indiana has cemented themselves a maroon-colored blue blood with more than 40 tournament appearances. Although their performances as of late haven’t been quite that stellar, the incredible fanbase and glorious arena here in Bloomington are permanent, critical pieces for the Hoosiers to rise once again.