January 18, 1896.

Close Hall – site of the very first 5-on-5 college basketball game.

January 18, 1896 The very first 5-on-5 college basketball game in the U.S. is held in Close Hall – on the campus of SUI in Iowa City. The University of Chicago Maroons beat the Iowa Hawkeyes 15-12.

Close Hall opened in 1891 – on the northwest corner of Iowa Avenue & Dubuque Street in Iowa City. This three-story building was originally built for the YMCA/YWCA mission on campus and had a full-sized gymnasium in the basement.

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1 thought on “January 18, 1896.

  1. Pingback: January 17, 1853. | Our Iowa Heritage

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