Champaign-Urbana, IL- Illinois has an outstanding home in State Farm Center. Known as Assembly Hall from its construction in 1963 to 2013, the iconic arena was renamed State Farm Center on April 29, 2013, with the announcement of a 30-year, $60 million naming rights agreement. State Farm Center is undergoing a major renovation, which began following the conclusion of the 2014 season, dubbed the Illinois Renaissance.
The $169.5-million project will include a renovated seating bowl and the addition of four levels of premium seating; improved bathroom, concessions and a team store; air conditioning and many more amenities. Construction is occurring around each Fighting Illini basketball season in order to avoid displacing the men’s and women’s teams, and the project is expected to be completed in the fall of 2016.
The historic building opened on March 2, 1963, and continues to attract attention for its design and construction. Four hundred feet across, it at one time was one of only two edge-supported domes in the world. The roof is supported by 614 miles of one quarter inch steel wire wrapped at the base of the dome under intensive pressure. The architect was Max Abramovitz, a distinguished University of Illinois alumnus.
In seating capacity, State Farm Center ranks among the great arenas of major cities and is the largest arena in the state of Illinois outside of Chicago’s United Center. State Farm Center has nearly 16,000 permanent seats, but when portable chairs are place on the floor for an in-the-round performance, there is potential for up to 17,200 depending on the size of the stage. Seating capacity for the Fighting Illini basketball is 17,085 for the 2014-15 season.
