IU Athletics' community of fans stretches all over the country. However, when some of those die-hard fans are in Bloomington, they're looking for more than just a regular game day experience.
Luckily for them, they can get a behind-the-scenes look thanks to the tours offered at of some of the Hoosiers' most popular athletic facilities, such as Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Memorial Stadium and Cook Hall, which IU offers to its fans.
Assembly Hall officially opened during the 1971-72 season and dedicated its court, Branch McCracken Court, on Dec. 18, 1971. However, after alumna Cindy Simon Skjodt donated $40 million in December 2013, which was the largest gift in IU Athletics history, it got an updated look.
Now known as Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, the new venue was reopened Oct. 14, 2016.
The South lobby now features IU's Big Ten Conference trophies and digital screens featuring archival information, while the North lobby has trophy cases and segments of the last renovation to McCracken Court displayed on the wall. There's also plenty of memorabilia such as championship photos, old scoreboards and more.
Meanwhile, Memorial Stadium opened Dec. 22, 1960, and is currently under construction in the South end zone, where the IU Excellence Academy will be located. Construction on the site is planned to be finished before the start of the 2018 season.
Memorial Stadium features plenty of other interesting touring destinations from training facilities, staff and administration offices, position meeting rooms, a team auditorium, an underground walkway to practice facilities and the newest addition of the Student-Athlete Development Center in the North end zone.
Fans can also see some of the famous landmarks of Memorial Stadium, such as Hep's Rock in honor of former Coach Terry Hoeppner, and the USS Indiana World War II battleship.
For fans that are looking for more nostalgia and history, Cook Hall is also a popular destination.
Opened on April 25, 2010, Cook Hall features practice facilities, coaches' offices, locker rooms, video rooms, player lounges and strength and conditioning areas for the men's and women's basketball programs, but is also home to museum-like exhibits.
Known as the Pfau-Shine Legacy Court, the front corridor is full of photographs, artifacts, trophies and interactive touch screens.
It is open to the public 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Guided tours of the facilities are free. To submit a request for a tour, fans just have to visit the IU Athletics website and fill out a tour request form.
Tours will not be available on game days, holidays or during special events, and could be subject to change based on the teams' schedules.
