Southern Illinois University opened up the renovated SIU Arena during the 2010-11 season. The main entrance on the East side of the building is more than three times as big as the old entry. It features a Team Store, Hall of Fame, and a spacious area for fans to gather before entering the concourse.
A trip around the concourse is like taking a stroll down memory lane with wall-to-wall photos and graphics. From Walt Frazier to the ESPN Gameday visit, all of the historic moments in Saluki Basketball are captured and displayed.
The renovation, which was completed in phases during a 15-month timeframe, cost $29.9 million. It was financed with both public and private sources.
In 2019, Southern Illinois University Carbondale and Banterra Bank, the region’s largest, locally-owned bank, announced a 10-year naming-rights agreement that will rebrand SIU Arena as Banterra Center. The multi-million-dollar agreement, which includes a 10-year extension option, annual payments plus an affinity program, offers up to $10 million for SIU, with a $4-million guarantee for the first 10 years. The partnership is the largest corporate naming-rights agreement in SIU’s 150-year history and the first naming right for the 55-year-old arena.
