The new home of the University of Oregon Ducks will be named after the late son of Phil and Penny Knight, who donated $100 million toward construction.
The new home of the University of Oregon Ducks will be named after the late son of Phil and Penny Knight, who donated $100 million toward construction.
University of Oregon President Dave Frohnmayer announced that the new 12,500-seat arena will be named Matthew Knight Arena. Matt Knight drowned in 2004 at age 34.
“Phil and Penny Knight have been longtime, generous supporters of the University of Oregon, including their most recent cornerstone gift of $100 million to the Oregon Athletics’ Legacy Fund,” said Frohnmayer. “After discussing naming options with Phil and Penny, choosing Matthew Knight seemed ideal.”
Pat Kilkenny, UO’s athletics director, announced that the arena, which will be located at 13th Avenue and Franklin Boulevard in Eugene, is scheduled to be open by the start of the Pacific-10 Conference basketball season in 2011. Shoring and excavation work will begin next week, and a groundbreaking ceremony will be held in mid-January. “This has and will continue to be a community effort, and we want to involve the community in celebrating the project every step of the way,” said Kilkenny.
The new arena will feature several elements of Mac Court that made the venerable building appealing to fans and student-athletes, and intimidating to opponents. “One of the most important criteria for the design of the new arena was to replicate the intensity and intimacy of Mac Court,” said Jim Bartko, UO’s executive senior associate athletic director.
Almost 2,000 seats, including nearly 1,000 in the lower level of the arena, will be allocated to students. This total is more than the approximately 1,600 seats currently reserved for students in Mac Court. In addition, the pitch of the seating—while not quite as vertical as Mac Court—is significantly steeper than virtually any other arena in the country. “Students and fans will still be right on top of the action on the court,” Bartko said.
The arena has two distinct levels, divided into premier, loge and terrace seating categories. Premier and loge seats are in the lower level of the arena, closest to the court; terrace seats are in the upper level. Bartko emphasized that full-court visibility will be good from all seats in the arena, regardless of level or seating category.
Fans will be paying more for the privilege of attending Ducks games. Currently a main floor season ticket for at McArthur Court is $492, but the total cost of a similar ticket at the new arena will cost between $1,333 and $1,650, thanks to mandatory donations to the athletic department and a construction fee.
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