If you visited Si Melby Hall before 2000 and are returning for the first time today, you'd be amazed by what you see inside. The Si Melby Hall gymnasium was completely changed during the 2000 renovation project.
With bleachers used on both sides, capacity for the gymnasium is approximately 2,200, about 2,500 with on-floor seating for events like commencement, the Peace Prize Forum and concerts. If only one set of bleachers is needed, the north-side bleachers are pulled out for a capacity of about 1,200, with two courts available for event use. The two-court/one set of bleachers format is the style most used for tournament events at Augsburg, such as the Augsburg Invitational volleyball tournament and Auggie-Brute-Adidas Open wrestling tournament (five mats).
Ernie Anderson Court, the center court in the gymnasium, was officially dedicated in February 2001 in honor of Ernie Anderson '37, one of the shining stars of the history of Augsburg athletics. Anderson served the college as men's basketball coach for 23 seasons and as athletic director for 34 years, in addition to teaching in the health and physical education department for nearly four decades.
The south court was named Dan Anderson Court in 2006 in honor of Augsburg alum Dan Anderson '65, who was the first athlete drafted into professional basketball from Augsburg. His photo is on one of the banners on the east wall.
Two other famous athletic alumni are also honored on the east wall -- Lute Olson '56, who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Devean George '99, who was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 1999 NBA Draft. George's college No. 40 and Anderson's college No. 50 were retired in a ceremony in 2003.
In 2000, a new wood floor was installed with improved cushioning placed underneath, providing better support for the athletes who play on the surface. The floor was repainted to feature the school's colors of maroon and gray.
New bleachers were installed on both sides of the main competition floor. The bleachers were updated to comply with current safety codes and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. The seats are a more comfortable plastic design, and the aisles are wider and safer to navigate. Cutouts along the front rows of the bleachers are designed for seating for our visitors in wheelchairs. The bleachers are a "one-touch" setup, making for much easier event setup and teardown for our custodial and event staffs.
On each end of the court are new Daktronics scoreboards, purchased and installed with assistance from the Pepsi-Cola corporation. The east-end scoreboard has a two-line message board for in-event messaging, and the west-end scoreboard has two data panels for in-game statistical information (basketball points and fouls, volleyball kills and aces, wrestling advantage time). Other unique panels show previous game scores in volleyball and blood/injury time in wrestling.
With the bleachers pushed in, the facility has the capacity for three full-size basketball and volleyball competition courts and six full-size wrestling mats, ideal for tournaments. Portable Daktronics scoreboards can be wheeled out for use during multiple-court tournaments.
Banners honoring the multiple national champion wrestling program hang on the south side of Ernie Anderson Court.
