Huff Hall facts for kids
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Huff Hall
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| Former names | New Gymnasium (1925-1937) Huff Gym (1937–1992) |
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| Location | 1206 S 4th St Champaign, IL 61820 |
| Public transit | Fourth and Gregory 1 Yellow, 8 Bronze, 22 Illini |
| Owner | University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign |
| Capacity | Volleyball, Wrestling: 4,050 Gymnastics: 3,800 |
| Record attendance | Volleyball: 4,536 |
| Surface | Hardwood Courts |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | June 7, 1924 |
| Opened | 1925 |
| Renovated | 1992, 2002 |
| Expanded | 2011 |
| Construction cost | $772,000 |
| Architect |
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| General contractor | English Brothers Co. |
| Tenants | |
| Fighting Illini Men's Basketball (1925–63) Fighting Illini Women's Volleyball (1990–present) Illinois Fighting Illini men's gymnastics Fighting Illini Women's Gymnastics Fighting Illini Wrestling |
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Huff Hall is a large sports building in Champaign, Illinois. It has 4,050 seats and is used for many different sports. The building opened in 1925 and was first called Huff Gymnasium. It was later renamed after George Huff, who was the athletic director for the university from 1895 to 1935.
Today, Huff Hall is the home for the University of Illinois Fighting Illini volleyball and wrestling teams. It also hosts men's and women's gymnastics events. When you visit, you'll see banners of past Illini sports heroes hanging, celebrating the school's rich athletic history.
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The Story of Huff Hall
Building a New Gymnasium
Huff Hall was first known as the "New Gymnasium." It was designed in a classic style called Georgian-Revival. The architects, Charles A. Platt and James M. White, made sure it matched other important buildings on campus, like the Armory and the Main Library. Building it cost $772,000, which was a lot of money back in 1925!
From New Gym to Huff Hall
When it opened, Huff Hall took over from the Military Drill Hall as the main place for Fighting Illini basketball games. In 1937, the "New Gymnasium" was renamed Huff Gymnasium. This was done to honor George Huff, who had been a very important athletic director for many years.
A Home for Many Sports
Before the Assembly Hall opened in 1963, Huff Hall was the main place for the university's men's basketball team. It also hosted the state finals for the Illinois High School Association boys' basketball tournament every March from 1926 to 1962.
The women's basketball team also played their home games at Huff Hall from the 1970s through the mid-1990s. This was because it was hard to fill the much larger Assembly Hall for their games. Since 1997, the women's team has played only at Assembly Hall.
The Old Swimming Pool
For many years, from 1927 to 2002, Huff Hall had a 25-yard swimming pool. This pool was 8 feet deep, which made it perfect for activities like Underwater Hockey and Water Polo clubs at the university. The pool is no longer there, but it was a big part of Huff Hall's history.
More Than Just Sports
Besides being a busy sports venue, Huff Hall is also home to the College of Applied Health Sciences. This means that students who are studying things like health, fitness, and sports science have their classes and offices right inside this historic building.
