University officials will seek student and community input next semester on the idea of building a new basketball stadium, delaying a proposal that would transfer control of Assembly Hall to the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA) to win renovation funding.

Chancellor Nancy Cantor agreed to look into a new facility at the request of student body president Marcia Fuentes and Student Trustee Nate Allen, said Associate Chancellor Larry Mann.

Fuentes and Allen said a new stadium could be a better alternative to a proposed $75 million renovation of the 30-year-old Assembly Hall.

"Students seem to be continually disappointed through the basketball season with the seating that they get (at Assembly Hall)," Fuentes said.

As Assembly Hall is eligible to become a national historic place, there are limits to the renovations that can be done, she said.

The proposed renovations to Assembly Hall would be limited to restrooms and concessions, Allen said, but many students want better seating.

"I don't think students will be happy with the renovations," he said.

Cantor and Athletic Director Ron Guenther were out of town and could not be reached for comment.

Mann said there are no definite plans to build a new stadium yet — just a lot of questions.

"Could we support two arenas in this town?" Mann said. "What else would take the place of basketball (in Assembly Hall)?"

Allen said it was too early to say if a new arena is needed or if the money to build it would be available.

Regardless of where the Illini play, Assembly Hall would still be used for events such as concerts and commencement ceremonies, Mann said.

While Assembly Hall "contributes to the architectural integrity of the campus as few other buildings do," the venue is "showing its age" and needs to be renovated, according to the Assembly Hall Review Committee report released on Monday.

Last year, a study sponsored by the DIA and Assembly Hall unveiled a plan that added concession stands, restrooms and escalators, as well as improvements to the electrical and plumbing systems, and wider, padded seats.

Transferring control of the facility to the DIA from Student Affairs would allow the $75 million needed for the renovations to be raised, according to the report.

"Of the hall's current users, only the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics has access to a donor base large and avid enough to carry a successful campaign for renovation funding," the report said.

If basketball games are played elsewhere, renovations would still cost about $27 million, Mann said.

The transfer could take place smoothly, with few changes being made to Assembly Hall regular operations, the report said. Both the current staff and the Assembly Hall Advisory Committee would be preserved.

An ad hoc Management Transition Committee, composed of representatives from Student Affairs, Assembly Hall and the DIA, would oversee the transfer of Assembly Hall operations.

If the DIA takes over, the committee also recommended that the student fees used to maintain Assembly Hall be placed in an account separate from the rest of the athletic budget. This semester, each student pays about $35 to maintain the facility.

Student government members raised concerns earlier this semester that a DIA-controlled Assembly Hall could mean fewer concerts and other non-athletic events. But the report said student-endorsed entertainment and other student programs would continue to have high scheduling priority at Assembly Hall.