Saluki Way will provide top-quality facilities and resources to attract the nation's premier student-athletes to Southern Illinois University. When completed, the quality of our facilities for these sports will match the championship-level performances we have witnessed on the playing field and court. Saluki Way is essential to our efforts to continue recent success both in the Missouri Valley Conference and on a national scale. Our football and basketball venues must be enhanced to reflect the caliber of education our student-athletes receive at SIU. While Saluki fans have enjoyed their share of memorable moments in both McAndrew Stadium and SIU Arena, upgrading our facilities is critical. Saluki Way will provide a retrofitted SIU Arena, new football stadium and 56,000-square-foot Athletics Support Facility to be completed for the 2010-11 seasons.

Saluki Way Construction LIVE Webcam

Retrofitting of SIU Arena will include
New chairback seating throughout the lower seating bowl
New chairback seating in lower rows of upper seating bowl
1,200 additional chairback seats
Middle handrails in all aisles
Improved accessibility and entrances to meet or exceed Americans with Disabilities Act requirements
Expanded concessions
Additional restrooms
A new scoreboard with video replay capability
VIP club room

Football Stadium
Capacity of 15,000
Located south of McAndrew Stadium and nort east of SIU Arena
Luxury suites
VIP club room
Prime chairback seating
A new scoreboard with video replay capability

Athletics Support Facility
A two-level addition will be built on the northeast side of SIU Arena and will serve as the main entrance to the facility, along with:
Expanded team facilities, including new locker rooms and offices for Football and Men's & Women's Basketball
Auditorium and team meeting rooms
Equipment room and sports medicine area
New athletics ticket office
Saluki team store

SALUKI WAY TIMELINE
March 3, 2009 - Groundbreaking Ceremony
March 2009 - Construction of Football Stadium Begins
April 2009 - Construction of Athletics Support Building Begins
April 2009 - Retrofitting of SIU Arena Begins
August 2010 - Completion of Football Stadium
October 2010 - Completion of Athletics Support Building
October 2010 - Completion of SIU Arena

Saluki Way Construction Update

March 3, 2009 -- Groundbreaking Ceremony

Feb. 17, 2009 -- Watch new animated video

Oct. 31, 2008 -- Soil for berm transported to site of new football stadium

May 12, 2008 -- Southern Illinois Orthopedic Center pledges $500,000

Jan. 24, 2008 -- Greg and Nancy Cook announce $1 million gift

Nov. 8, 2007 -- Watch Video Animation

Nov. 8, 2007 -- Photo Gallery

Aug. 22, 2007 -- Carbondale City Council approves funding for Saluki Way

Saluki Way is being funded by student athletics fees, funds from the City of Carbondale, revenues generated by the athletics department and private donations.

The design work is completed, and bids for the project are due by Nov. 11.

The projects are part of a grander University plan to create a new campus core that would stretch from the flagpole near Altgeld Hall south to the new football stadium and refurbished SIU Arena. The plan also calls for a new student services building, a new academic building and modern parking garages.

Director of Athletics Mario Moccia said he expects the improvements to have a lasting impact.

"New facilities help us not only keep up with what our competition is doing but allow us to recruit top-notch student athletes," Moccia said.

The football stadium, with a capacity of 15,000, will replace McAndrew Stadium, originally constructed in 1939. The new facility will be located south of McAndrew and northeast of the Arena. The "U"-shaped facility will feature tiered seating on the east, west and south sides, with a corresponding lower concourse level. The main entry will be at the southwest corner, with the scoreboard on the north end. The concourse will house concessions, restrooms and storage areas. A media area, coaches' suites, a club area and viewing suites will be on the west side, above the seating areas.

Construction of the new stadium will require relocating the University tennis courts and the recreational sports fields.

Renovations to the Arena, which opened in 1964, 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.

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.