Campus Alert Archive
IU

A Smoke Detector Near the Balcony Elevator: Fire Alarm Evacuates Assembly Hall Mid-Game Against Wisconsin

INfireemergency notificationmedium confidence
UnfoundedNo evidence of an actual threat was found. The institutional response is documented because the alert communication is identical to what would occur during a real incident.

On the night of February 27, 2024, a fire alarm sounded inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall midway through the second half of the Indiana vs. Wisconsin men's basketball game. The alarm went off at 10:06 remaining in the second half — 25 seconds after John Blackwell tied the game at 54 for the Badgers. Both teams left the court and the 17,222-seat arena was evacuated. Bloomington Fire Department crews found that a smoke detector near a balcony elevator had been activated; no fire was present. Fans began re-entering about 20 minutes later and play resumed after a five-minute warmup.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
Indiana University Bloomington
Public R1 · IN
~47,558 studentsIU-Notify
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTTwitter/X
Verified verbatimVerbatim from the @IndianaMBB (Indiana Basketball) X/Twitter post issued during the February 27, 2024 fire-alarm evacuation189 chars
The game has been delayed due to the fire alarms going off inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Please evacuate if you are inside the building. We will provide further updates when available.
Verbatim @IndianaMBB X/Twitter post issued shortly after the in-arena fire alarm activated with 10:06 remaining in the second half — 25 seconds after John Blackwell's back-to-back layups tied the game at 54
[Indiana state law](https://www.athleticbusiness.com/facilities/stadium-arena/article/15665170/ius-assembly-hall-evacuated-midgame-due-to-fire-alarm) requires a full evacuation when a building fire alarm is activated, regardless of whether smoke or fire is visually confirmed
Both teams left the court immediately and the arena was evacuated as alarms continued to sound intermittently; the @IndianaMBB account served as the primary public communication channel during the evacuation
ALL CLEARPA System
Approximate reconstruction161 chars
The fire department has cleared the building. You may now return to your seats. Play will resume shortly after a five-minute warmup. Thank you for your patience.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed all-clear announcement; fans began filing back in about 20 minutes after the initial alarm per ESPN's game tracking
Bloomington Fire Department investigators determined that a smoke detector near a balcony elevator had been activated — cause not publicly identified
After the five-minute on-court warmup, play resumed and Indiana finished the game 74-70 over No. 13 Wisconsin
Context

Background

Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall is the basketball home of the Indiana Hoosiers and seats 17,222. The February 27, 2024 fire-alarm evacuation midway through the second half of the No. 13 Wisconsin vs. Indiana game was the rare case of an in-progress college basketball game halted by a fire-life-safety event rather than a weather, equipment, or security issue. The alarm went off just after Wisconsin's John Blackwell tied the game at 54 with back-to-back layups. Indiana state fire code required full evacuation. The Bloomington Fire Department traced the trigger to a smoke detector near a balcony elevator; no fire was present. Fans were back in about 20 minutes, play resumed after a five-minute warmup, and Indiana won 74-70. The incident matters less for its drama than for what it documents: arena fire-alarm evacuations are typically silent in the public record because they are short, false, and absorbed into the box score as a 'lengthy delay.' Indiana's was preserved because national TV cameras were rolling and because Wisconsin's coach made a memorable joke about it afterward.
Analysis

Key Findings

Fire-alarm evacuations of college basketball arenas during games are routine in code but rare on national TV — the February 27, 2024 incident was preserved largely because of its broadcast visibility
Indiana state law requires full evacuation when a building fire alarm is activated, regardless of whether smoke is visible — overriding any in-game discretion by event staff
The 20-minute round trip from evacuation to resumption is typical for a single-trigger false alarm with rapid fire-department clearance
The Bloomington Fire Department's identification of a balcony elevator smoke detector as the trigger illustrates how minor sensor activations cascade into mass evacuations at large venues
Outcome
Indiana won 74-70. No injuries. No fire was found. Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard joked postgame, 'It was a great timeout for whoever from Indiana pulled the fire alarm cause we were making a run.'
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Fans evacuated from Indiana's win over Wisconsin after fire alarm goes off at Assembly Hall (CBS Sports)
    cbssports.com
  2. News
    Ware helps Indiana outlast Wisconsin 74-70 in game delayed by fire alarm (WTHR / AP)
    wthr.com
  3. News
    Indiana's Assembly Hall evacuated in bizarre scene midway through game vs. Wisconsin (Yahoo Sports)
    sports.yahoo.com
  4. News
    Wisconsin-Indiana men's basketball delayed at Assembly Hall (ESPN)
    espn.com
  5. Source
    IU's Assembly Hall Evacuated Mid-Game Due to Fire Alarm (Athletic Business)
    athleticbusiness.com
Tags
fire-alarmfirearena-evacuationassembly-hallbasketballindianabig-tenfalse-alarmsmoke-detectorindoor-venuepublic-r1Unfounded
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion