Banterra Center (formerly SIU Arena) is an 8,284-seat multi-purpose

arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

, on the campus of

Southern Illinois University Southern Illinois University is a system of public universities in the southern region of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its headquarters is in Carbondale, Illinois. Board of trustees The university is governed by the nine member SIU Board of Tr ...

, in Carbondale, Illinois,

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. 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 The Southern Illinois Salukis are the varsity athletic teams representing Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The nickname comes from the Saluki, the Royal Dog of Egypt and the Persian greyhound, which ties into the fact that southern Illino ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

team.

History

The basketball team played its first game in the new complex on December 1, 1964. The Salukis defeated Oklahoma State, 78–55, in the opener and went on to post a 14–1 record at home that season. Two first-round games of the 1969 NCAA basketball tournament were played at the arena. An NBA regular-season game was also played there in 1969. Peter Gabriel recorded part of his live album, ''Plays Live'', at the SIU Arena in December 1983.

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

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. In March 2010,

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...

performed his first live performance of his career; he was booked at the last minute as a surprise to the students, as the event was sold out. This was the beginning of his emerging career. Johnny Cash played "The Johnny Cash Show" at the arena in October 1971 with June Carter Cash, The Statler Brothers, Carl Perkins and the Tennessee Three. Tickets at the time were $3 to $5. In October 1976,

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

played to a sold-out crowd at the arena.

Naming rights

On May 16, 2019, the university and Banterra Bank, a regional financial institution, announced agreement on a ten-year naming rights deal for the facility, the first in its 55-year history.

References

External links

Official Site
Basketball venues in Illinois College basketball venues in the United States Southern Illinois Salukis basketball venues Buildings and structures in Jackson County, Illinois 1964 establishments in Illinois Sports venues completed in 1964 {{Illinois-sports-venue-stub

History

Naming rights

See also

References

External links