DeKALB — The recreational portion of the Chick Evans Field House is closed for the spring semester due to the wavering state budget.

Sandi Carlisle, director of Campus Recreation, said programs and services for students needed to be prioritized because of the reduced support from the state. The field house closed March 20.

“We had to make some decisions on [which] facilities needed to be closed to help save or reduce expenses because of the state’s uncertainty about their support,” Carlisle said. “So we had to make some tough decisions, unfortunately.”

State lawmakers are struggling to agree upon a budget for the third year in a row. If the university does not receive state appropriations for Fiscal Year 2018, a gap of $35 million will have to be filled to maintain “adequate reserves,” according to an April 4 campus update from President Doug Baker.

Carlisle said the offices in the field house will still function at their normal hours. Services and offices, including the Huskie Food Pantry and the Wellness Promotion Center, are in the field house, but they will still be open.

Sports clubs will be able to use the Student Recreation Center or the Outdoor Recreation Sports Complex if they need a space to practice. Carlisle said sports clubs can reach out to Competitive Sports Coordinator Laura Kucik to reserve time slots.

“We only cut or reduce facilities in areas that we think have the least impact,” Carlisle said. “Typically, after spring break there’s not much usage in the field house, so that’s why we closed it, and we try to accommodate students in other places.”

Women’s Rugby President Jovania Terrazas said she was unaware the field house closed. She said the closure could be a concern for the team.

“We would not need to use it this semester, but if it were to close in the winter, I don’t know where we would practice at,” Terrazas said. “Usually, if we try to practice indoors with the student rec, there’s limited space there because there’s so much going on, so we might get something or we might not.”

Kelly Wesener-Michael, associate vice president for Student Affairs and dean of students, said their office plans to work specifically with sports clubs to make sure they are well informed about the situation.

Carlisle said she is unsure if the field house will reopen in the fall semester.