U of I student group pledges $1M to arena project

Associated Press

URBANA, Ill. - A student cheering group at the University of Illinois has pledged $1 million to help renovate the school's sports arena.

The group, called Orange Krush, will get its own hospitality room at the State Farm Center in return for the donation. The (Champaign) News-Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/1eCHhmB ) the gift is part of a planned $160 million overhaul of the arena formerly known as the Assembly Hall.

Bloomington-based State Farm Insurance Co. is paying $60 million over 30 years in exchange for the arena's naming rights.

Orange Krush has raised more than $2.7 million for the university and charities since 1998. The group has raised money for a children's home, a food bank, a women's center and other organizations over the years.