The SIU Board of Trustees approved an $83 million budget to build a new football stadium and arena today.

The stadium and arena are part of the first phase of Saluki Way, the university’s plan to build a new campus core. A new student services building with an estimated cost of $25 million is also to be built as part of the first phase of the project, but detailed planning for the building has not yet begun.

Tom Waggoner, an architect with 360 Architecture, presented a set of preliminary plans for the athletic facilities, including some graphics depicting a finished stadium and arena.

Trustee Ed Hightower said he was concerned with the projected seating capacities of the new stadium and the arena, which are lower than those of the current facilities.

Capacity for the new stadium is estimated at 12,000, down from McAndrew Stadium’s 17,000 seats, and the renovated SIU Arena is expected to hold about 8,500, down from more than 9,000 now.

Athletic Director Mario Moccia said the university would work with the project’s designers to consider increasing the seating capacities, but he said he expected the new structures would have enough space to handle the crowds at most events.

Joe Crawford can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 254 or [email protected].