IU icon to become Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall

Indiana University's Assembly Hall will be named after philanthropist Cindy Simon Skjodt after her $40 million gift to renovate the iconic 42-year-old basketball arena.

The building will become Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall when renovations are complete, around 2016. IU officials said the work will not interfere with basketball, commencement or "other major activities" in the building.

The Star on Dec. 8 first published renderings and the major changes announced Thursday.

The money from Simon Skjodt (pronounced "Scott") — the largest gift in athletic department history and fourth-largest in school history — will pay for most or all of the work on Assembly Hall. It is part of IU's $150 million fundraising campaign to improve athletic facilities. Simon Skjodt's father is the late Mel Simon, who co-owned the nation's largest mall company and the Indiana Pacers.

"Waves of emotion come over me as I think about how proud my dad would be," Simon Skjogt said at a news conference at Assembly Hall. "It brings me great pride to offer this gift to IU, for the next generation, not just to my children, but to other children too."

Changes at Assembly Hall include luxury seating above the bleachers behind the south basket; escalators replacing some ramps; a modern "jumbotron" scoreboard; turning the south lobby into a "grand entryway" and remodeled restrooms and concession stands, plus additional restrooms.

The seating bowl and balcony will remain unchanged, and seating capacity will not decrease.

The renovation plans are a distinct change from the position taken by IU's trustees in 2007. At the time, they said renovating Assembly Hall was "not a feasible alternative." But construction of the Cook Hall practice facility adjacent to the arena went a long way in solving the problem. The facility's amenities include separate practice courts for men's and women's teams.

Building a new basketball arena would cost $200 to $300 million, IU athletic director Fred Glass has said.

IU men's basketball coach Tom Crean said renovating Assembly Hall will "preserve the legacy of a national treasure."

Glass said he's keenly aware of concerns IU fans might have about changing the name of an iconic arena. For years, the ESPN broadcaster Dick Vitale has called for the school to name the building after former coach Bob Knight.

"I think if people are willing to look at this, they'll see it as really terrific and appropriate naming," Glass said. "Not everybody will, and I get that. But my responsibility is to be a good steward of the department."

Glass noted the Simon family's role in keeping the Pacers in Indianapolis and Simon Skjodt's status as an IU alumna and longtime basketball fan.

"Cindy's one of us," Glass said. "She went to games as a little girl with her dad. She was a student here. She's been a season-ticket holder. She's from one of the most philanthropic and sports-minded families in the state of Indiana."

IU women's basketball coach Curt Miller said his players were surprised when they heard the donation had come from a woman. A recruit, he said, told him to "tell Cindy: 'You go girl.'"

Said Simon Skjodt: "Women are becoming empowered all over the world, in all facets of life, business and sports."

Simon Skjodt's gift could extend the life of Assembly Hall for decades.

"I seriously want this building to be here for another 42 years," Glass said, "and stand the test of time for multiple generations of IU fans."

Follow Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.