The SIU Arena is a 8,339 seat multi-purpose arena

Arena

An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...

, on the campus of Southern Illinois University

Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public research university located in Carbondale, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1869, SIUC is the flagship campus of the Southern Illinois University system...

, in Carbondale, Illinois

Carbondale, Illinois

Carbondale is a city in Jackson County, in the state of Illinois, within the Southern Illinois region. It is located at the junction of Illinois Route 13 and U.S. Route 51, southeast of St. Louis, Missouri, on the northern edge of the Shawnee National Forest...

. Construction on the arena began in the spring of 1962 and took nearly two years to complete. It was completed in 1964 and is the home of the SIU Salukis basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 team.

The basketball team played its first game in the new complex on December 1, 1964. The Salukis pummeled Oklahoma State, 78-55, in the opener and went on to post a 14-1 record at home that season.

A first round game of the 1969 NCAA basketball tournament

1969 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

The 1969 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 8, 1969, and ended with the championship game on March 22 in Louisville, Kentucky...

 was played at the arena. Widespread Panic

Widespread Panic

Widespread Panic is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. The current lineup includes guitarist/singer John Bell, bassist Dave Schools, drummer Todd Nance, percussionist Domingo "Sunny" Ortiz, keyboardist John "JoJo" Hermann, and guitarist Jimmy Herring...

 released a live album, containing their complete concert performance from 2000. In December 2003, it was also the site of a memorial service for the late U.S. Senator Paul Simon

Paul Simon (politician)

Paul Martin Simon was an American politician from Illinois. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 1985 and United States Senate from 1985 to 1997. He was a member of the Democratic Party...

.

Renovations to SIU Arena, scheduled for the end of the 2009 basketball season, will include new seating throughout the lower and upper areas, improved accessibility and entrances to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, middle handrails at all aisles, improved concessions, additional restrooms and fan amenities on the upper level, a new scoreboard and other aesthetic and functional improvements.

A two-level addition will be built on the northeast side of the Arena and will house a main entrance, expanded team facilities, an auditorium, mechanical areas and office space. Photo grouping of proposed changes-http://www.siuc.edu/media/0708Galleries/SW/index.htm

The renovations will take place in two phases, as the Salukis will continue to play basketball in the Arena while the project is under way.