THE DAILY ILLINI
MONDAY February 22, 2016
The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM
45˚ | 28˚ Vol. 145 Issue 74
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FROM HALL TO FARM
AUSTIN YATTONI THE DAILY ILLINI
Arena part of evolving corporate-univeristy relations BY MICHAL DWOJAK STAFF WRITER
D
ave Downey still remembers the emotions he felt and sounds he heard on March 4, 1963. That day the Fighting Illini played the first-ever basketball game in what was then called the Assembly Hall. The structure was the first arena built without any type of support beam to hold up the dome and at first glance, appeared as if a concrete spaceship had landed in the middle of Illinois. While Downey and his teammates were excited to play in the first-of-its kind arena, Downey was hesitant to the change. “I would’ve rather stayed at Huff (Gymnasium) at the time because we were trying to win a Big Ten Championship,” the 74-year-old reminisced. “But we were excited to play in a new building. We were proud to be part of that first game.” Players and fans weren’t used to Assembly Hall. Huff was filled with open space around the court but fans always managed to make the gym deafening. Downey thought the new arena was much more intimate, with fans closer to the players. Levels of people stood in rows that rose until the last row of humanity was met with the concrete dome that gave the arena its new charm. “It was fairly intimidating for the fans and the players because there had never been a building like that before,” he said. “People were in awe and it became a raucous crowd, like a concert hall.” But the opening of Assembly
tious to note why the change in name needed to happen in order to renovate the arena. “From the very early stages of this project, it was clearly apparent that naming rights for the building would play a major part in the funding model,” Thomas said then. “This agreement complements support from campus and our students while supplementing support from the community.” The $60 million, 30-year deal between the University and State Farm solidified Thomas’ attempts to renovate Assembly Hall. The company, headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois, would pay Illinois $2 million annually — $1.5 million to assist in the renovations and $500,000 for the naming rights. State Farm Center’s court was not part of the deal; The athletic department later decided to name the court after legendary Illinois men’s basketball coach Lou Henson. In exchange for the annual payments, State Farm received excluDAVID WITTY sive rights for NEBRASKA SENIOR ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR IN MARKETING signage around AND COMMUNICATIONS the facility and on some other things, such *** as the men’s basketball season When former Illinois Ath- poster. The company can also use letic Director Mike Thomas common areas in the arena for announced on April 29, 2013, that official company functions withAssembly Hall would be renamed out having to pay a rental fee. State Farm Center, he was cauAlthough the deal might have Hall was not the only reason why March 4, 1963, is important to Downey. That day was the only time his parents saw Downey play for the Orange and Blue live. They watched games on television in Peoria, but during that spring day, his parents finally saw their son play. Now, almost 53 years later, that arena which he helped open sits under a different name: State Farm Center. The arena has a year left in its renovations but already looks vastly different from when it first opened. College athletics, like the arena, have changed in the halfcentury since Downey played. While the good of the studentathlete remains the top priority for school administrators, the money that comes along with athletics and its buildings comes at a close second.
“If you want amenities for students and fans, you have to get into those deals with corporate sponsors.”
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SOURCE: Freedom of Information Act
CINDY OM THE DAILY ILLINI
come as surprise at the moment, both parties agreed that the partnership was mutually beneficial. “Anytime you can be aligned with an international company as strong as State Farm, it builds the strength of our image,” said Paul Kowalczyk, Illinois’ interim athletic director. “It’s not just a financial exchange. There’s more to it than just the money.” “We’ve had State Farm in the area as a sponsor for a number of years. It’s an outstanding corporation that’s made its mark nationally.” State Farm has educational relationships beyond Champaign-Urbana. Education buildings at Illinois State University in Normal and Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington bear the company’s name and there
is a State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas. “State Farm partners with a number of higher education institutions and is a proud supporter of college athletics across the country,” said Missy Dundov, State Farm media relations in Indiana and Illinois. “We have a long withstanding relationship with the University of Illinois and the state where our company has been headquartered for more than 90 years. We are proud of that relationship and look forward to many more years.” While State Farm’s contribution to the renovation project was $45 million, the estimated $169.5 million project needed funding
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BIG TEN ARENAS AND STADIUMS WITH CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS Illinois isn’t the only university in the Big Ten with a corporate naming rights sponsorship.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the 483 donations made for the Assembly Hall/State Farm Center renovations.
$60,000,000 $50,000,000 $40,000,000 $30,000,000
Basketball Venues
$20,000,000
Both
$10,000,000
SOURCE: Freedom of Information Act
Work left to be done with Illinois athletic facilities Illinois’ new athletic director Josh Whitman will have a lot of issues on his plate when he officially starts the job in March, but one of the main issues he’ll have to deal with is upgrading facilities. Although State Farm Center is in the last stages of its renovations and it’s been a decade since Memorial Stadium’s west and north sides were renovated, there’s work that needs to be done so Illinois can compete with other Big Ten school’s facilities. Whitman’s absence from the school has caused him to become unfamiliar with the status of Illinois’ facilities, but the new athletic director plans on catching up with the school’s playing and practice fields. “I’ve been gone long enough where I haven’t seen our facilities portfolio in a while, there was a time when I was familiar with it, but it’s been some time,” Whitman said. “I look forward to taking some folks around for a day, heading to the different facilities, examine them and start a plan.”
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SOURCE: The Division of Intercollegiate Athletics
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One of the first Whitman and his staff will have to look at is finishing the renovations of Memorial Stadium. Parts of the Great East Hall were renovated with the additions of concession stands and better bathrooms, but many believe there can still be work done. The major component of a Memorial Stadium renovation would be the south side, or the horseshoe. There were plans of a multiple story building to be built in the south part of the stadium before former athletic director Mike Thomas was fired. The plan included having the building host an Illinois hall of fame, a bigger gym for the football team and a better place for student-athletes to eat. The football offices will also need major renovations. Coaches are working in offices that are decades old and in spaces that don’t compete with offices around the nation. Illinois Field will also need a facelift. The home to the baseball team was built in 1988 has seen some changes, including the addition of lights in 1999, FieldTurf in 2008 and a video board in 2015, but Illinois’ run to the
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that level. “Any athletic department with this level needs to continually looking to upgrade the facility,” Whitman said. “You always need to have a plan and should never be status quo with your entire facilities portfolio. We’ll put a plan together and start to implement it.”
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SOURCE: The Division of Intercollegiate Athletics
College World Series showed that 1,500 seats might not be enough for a quickly growing program. Basketball’s Ubben Practice Facility and other places will also need to undergo renovations in order to match the levels set by other schools. Although it might take some time, Whitman plans on making sure Illinois reaches
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