WSU gets go-ahead for football building

College football: The Washington State University Board of Regents gave approval for a $61 million football operations building to be constructed beginning this month, it was announced Friday morning.

The Regents approved the project by a unanimous vote.

“This is a game-changing vote and I applaud the Regents for understanding its impact on the future of Washington State athletics,” said WSU director of athletics Bill Moos in a prepared statement.

The construction process begins the Monday after the Apple Cup, with completion expected to be in June 2014.

Chiefs on road at Seattle tonight

Junior hockey: The Spokane Chiefs will play their first road game in three weeks at 7:05 tonight when they travel to Seattle for the third time this Western Hockey League season.

Chiefs coach Don Nachbaur will return from his stint as coach of the WHL all-stars against Team Russia at the Subway Super Series. Nachbaur’s WHL group defeated the Russians in a shootout on Wednesday at Vancouver, British Columbia, and lost on Thursday in Victoria, B.C.

The Chiefs are 14-7-0-0 this season, bolstered by a 10-2-0-0 record at home. Spokane has won two of three games against the Thunderbirds (9-10-1-0), splitting two games in Seattle.

Spokane returns home Wednesday against Everett.