Story & Photos by Sean Larson
In 2002, as the University of Oregon marked the 75^th anniversary of historic McArthur Court, former Oregon athletic director Bill Moos had a vision. He said he would like a new arena built in three to five years. Now, nine years later, his vision has become a reality.
January 13, 2011, marked the dawn of a new era for Oregon athletics. After seven years of planning, two years of building, and one hefty price tag, Matthew Knight Arena opened its doors for the first time as the Oregon men’s basketball team prepared to take on the University of Southern California.
For the first time in years, the Ducks basketball game was the place to be in Eugene. At Mac Court, a student could log onto the online ticket distribution center just an hour before the game and pick up a ticket. Competition, however, proved tough. The 1,800 student tickets available for the game sold out in just seven minutes. That didn’t stop some students though. Katie Doyle, UO sophomore, couldn’t get a student ticket, so she purchased a regular ticket.
“I wanted to be there to experience history in the making,” Doyle says. “I wanted to look back later and say that I went to the first game at Matt Court.”
As fans walked into the arena for the first time, they were in awe. There were flat screen televisions, three times more concession stands, four and a half times the amount of bathrooms, and even two Duck Stores. The arena has a capacity of 12,541, enough to hold 65 percent of the undergraduate student body.
“My first impression of the new arena was kind of surreal. I felt overwhelmed, not only cause of its size and how beautiful it was, but because there was so much leading up to it,” Doyle says.
Calling the opening ceremonies festive and exciting would be an understatement. It was nothing short of spectacular, featuring a speech by the co-founder of Nike, Phil Knight, a pre-game light show with pyrotechnics designed by Nike, and an entrance from the rafters by Puddles the Duck.
With a total cost of $227 million, Matthew Knight Arena is the most expensive college basketball arena in the country. It is located on the east end of campus, and is now somewhat of a gateway to the UO campus. When prospective students exit I-5 and enter Eugene, the new arena will be the first part of the campus they see.
“It really is a big deal, not just for the UO but for the city,” UO junior Alex Horwitch says. “While people may be sad to see Mac go, this is something big. Matthew Knight Arena will provide a first class entertainment facility for southern Oregon.”
The new arena will also provide a much-needed boost to the local economy, says Horwitch.
“It will provide jobs. It will stimulate the economy for the business on Franklin Boulevard,” Horwitch adds. “Matthew Knight Arena will be a very special thing for the UO and Eugene for years to come.”
Some students, however, aren’t nearly as fond of the new arena when it comes to the effect it has on the university’s image.
“In the fairest terms of myself being a student who loves his university, his state, and his Ducks, this stadium was an awful idea for the culture of the UO,” says Robbie Quivey, UO sophomore. “Most of this stadium represents the culture that is becoming apparent at this fine institution, which is that its how you look doing something that matters, not the results. The university needs to stop allowing donations to rain down like a January in Eugene. Instead they need to promise results.”
Quivey’s viewpoint brings up a legitimate concern. What if the arena is simply too much? As expected, the opening game drew a capacity crowd of 12,500, the most people to ever watch an Oregon basketball game. But less than 48 hours after it opened, 1,500 less people came to see the Ducks. Saturday’s contest against UCLA drew just over 11,000 fans.
The reality could not be ignored. Even though the Ducks were playing in a brand new arena while sporting new uniforms, they couldn’t beat UCLA, and lost another Pac-10 game, falling to 1-5 in conference play this season, good enough for last place. Only time will tell if the state-of-the-art Matthew Knight Arena will indeed aid the image of the University of Oregon.

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