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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Huff Hall

Huff Hall is a 4,050-seat multi-purpose arena in Champaign, Illinois, United States. The arena opened in 1925 and was known as Huff Gymnasium until the 1990s. It is named after George Huff, who was the school's athletic director from 1895 to 1935.

Huff Hall is home to the University of Illinois Fighting Illini volleyball and wrestling teams. Prior to the opening of Assembly Hall in 1963, it was home to the basketball team as well.

Currently Huff Hall is used for a variety of sporting events, including men's and women's gymnastics, men's wrestling, and women's volleyball. At each athletic event banners are hung of past Illini heroes to remind the crowd of the rich tradition that Illini athletics have had.

Every March from 1926 to 1962, Huff Gymnasium played host to the state finals of the Illinois High School Association boys' basketball tournament.

Huff Hall also served as the home of the women's basketball team. Beginning in the 1970s and continuing through the mid-1990s, the team once again used Huff Hall for home games, as it struggled to fill up the Assembly Hall. Since 1997 the team has used the Assembly Hall exclusively, although it struggles with a losing record and to fill up the Assembly Hall.

From 1927 to 2002 Huff Hall was also home to a 25-yard swimming pool which served as the home of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign Underwater Hockey club and the University of Illinois Water Polo Club. The pool had a consistent depth of 8 ft. which made it ideal for these activities.

Huff Hall Swimming Pool, circa 2001.

In addition to hosting athletic events, Huff Hall is also the home of the College of Applied Health Sciences.

Huff Hall following the last wrestling meet of the 2019-2020 season.

History

Originally called the "New Gymnasium", Huff Hall was designed in the Georgian-Revival Style by Charles A. Platt and university architect James M. White. The building's architecture matches that of the Armory, Main Library, the Union, and other campus buildings. At the conclusion of its $772,000 construction in 1925, Huff Hall replaced the Military Drill Hall (now known as Kenney Gym Annex) as the home for Fighting Illini basketball. The "New Gymnasium" was renamed Huff Gymnasium in 1937 following the longtime athletic director's passing.

Men's basketball records at Huff Hall

Season Wins Losses Win pct. Total attendance
1925–26 6 3 0.667 N/A
1926–27 8 3 0.727 61,590
1927–28 3 5 0.375 48,202
1928–29 8 3 0.727 30,139*
1929–30 5 4 0.556 49,418*
1930–31 7 3 0.700 52,440
1931–32 8 2 0.800 57,000
1932–33 8 3 0.727 34,500*
1933–34 9 1 0.900 55,500
1934–35 8 2 0.800 62,000
1935–36 7 3 0.700 78,028
1936–37 7 2 0.778 63,238
1937–38 7 2 0.778 63,600
1938–39 9 1 0.900 57,933
1939–40 10 1 0.909 55,513
1940–41 8 2 0.800 52,751
1941–42 12 1 0.923 65,357
1942–43 10 0 1.000 62,648
1943–44 6 4 0.600 29,812
1944–45 7 3 0.700 44,951
1945–46 11 2 0.846 66,553
1946–47 10 1 0.909 77,808*
1947–48 11 1 0.917 78,388
1948–49 14 0 1.000 49,036*
1949–50 11 2 0.846 83,736
1950–51 12 1 0.923 75,116
1951–52 12 0 1.000 57,788*
1952–53 12 1 0.923 79,957*
1953–54 10 3 0.769 77,378
1954–55 9 2 0.818 64,721
1955–56 12 0 1.000 63,912
1956–57 9 2 0.818 68,448
1957–58 10 3 0.769 76,032
1958–59 9 3 0.750 68,292
1959–60 10 2 0.833 74,719
1960–61 7 3 0.700 60,457
1961–62 8 4 0.667 75,376
1962–63** 9 0 1.000 61,025
Totals 339 79 .811 2,283,362*

Notes:

  • *denotes incomplete or partial records.
  • **denotes played 9 games at Huff Hall but finished season at Assembly Hall.
  • (N/R) denotes no records

References

  1. ^ Huff Hall, Home Of The 'Whiz Kids,' Still Wheezing Along. 1993. Retrieved 2013-12-16. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  2. ^ UI trustees OK funds for Huff Hall addition. Champaign, Illinois. 2008. Retrieved 2013-12-16. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. ^ Khan Annex opens at Huff Hall on UI campus. Champaign, Illinois. 2011. Retrieved 2013-12-16. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ Men's basketball all-time records Archived 2015-02-10 at the Wayback Machine

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