Matthew Knight Arena

About MKA

Matthew Knight Arena opened its doors on Jan. 13, 2011, to a sold-out crowd of 12,364 as the Oregon men’s basketball christened the new palace with a 68-62 victory over USC. The building, named after the late son of NIKE Co-Founder Phil Knight, is located on the east side of UO’s campus.

Officials broke ground on Matthew Knight Arena on Feb. 7, 2009, as the 420,000 square-foot masterpiece was constructed in less than two years. Matt Arena was erected to replace legendary McArthur Court, which opened on January 14, 1927. Known as one of the toughest venues in the country for opponents, Mac Court was the second-oldest on-campus arena still in use before Matthew Knight Arena opened its doors.

Also known as “The Pit,” Sporting News named it the “the best gym in America” as sports writer and arena researcher Bill Kintner placed Mac Court his top five of college basketball arenas in America for its history, character, and atmosphere.
Mac Court was a passion incubator. The geometry of the place not only shoved fans close to amplify the intensity of emotion, it put fans on top of the action, making them feel like they were an integral part of the play on the floor, and able to usher their Ducks to victory through the force of their energy and collective will. Fans didn’t just go to Mac Court to watch a game; fans went to live it.

To recreate the same passion and experience at Matthew Knight Arena, the new venue was fashioned with the same close connection to the student-athletes and the action; by making the fans feel like they are an integral part of the game.

Matthew Knight Arena is a monument to all Oregon fans and their common love for Oregon, and the exciting energy that happens when all join together to cheer for the Ducks.

There are several areas throughout the arena, including the club areas, team spaces and concessions that tie the Oregon brand together. Three major displays on the Concourse are the Anthem to the Fan, the Hero Graphics and the Shroud Wall. Each tells different parts of the story. The Shroud Wall is primarily about heritage, energy and progression.

Hero Graphics celebrate Oregon’s great student-athletes and great moments--past and present. The Anthem to the Fan is about common devotion. Together, they express the sense of connection and ownership, the unique and proud heritage, the wild passion, and the unrelenting quest for more championships to come. This Land of the Tall Firs is a special place, inhabited by people who care more deeply about a team that fights even harder.

The unique floor design at Matthew Knight Arena is a nod to the Tall Firs, the nickname of Oregon’s National Championship basketball squad in 1939. The one of its kind perspective is looking up from a clearing in the forest that celebrates Oregon’s beautiful environment.

Kilkenny Floor is a homage to the family of former athletics director Pat Kilkenny. Three logos represent Heppner, Ore., with the Morrow County Courthouse; an interlocking UO with three shamrocks; and the beach/sunset of San Diego. These images honor the hometown of the Kilkenny’s, the Irish pride and logo of Oregon during Pat’s era as a student, and Pat’s love of San Diego where he calls home today.

Matthew Knight Arena rivals Hass Pavilion for the tightest, steepest seating bowl in the Pac-12, and there are unobstructed sightlines to the total playing surface for all seats. The lower bowl of Matt Arena is closer to the floor and steeper than Mac Court. The West Endzone seating is as steep as code allows – over 36 degrees.

The center hung KnightVision boards are the largest (12’8” high and 18’11” high) and highest resolution (6mm) video boards on a scoreboard in an NCAA arena. Only the recently opened Amway Center (NBA Orlando Magic) has larger screens at this resolution.

In addition, Matt Arena has four hustle boards located at the corners of the seating bowl for game stats and 270 degree LED ribbon boards located at front of upper seating bowl.

There are two regulation-size basketball court and one regulation-size volleyball practice courts.

On the floor level, Matt Arena has spacious on-site athletic training and weight training facilities as well as a nutrition bar.

The men’s basketball, women’s basketball and volleyball team locker rooms and lounges also have state of the art technology for gamedays, practices and studying purposes.

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Arena Facts

Matthew Knight Arena hopes to be the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certified Arena in the NCAA. LEED provides standards to recognize Green buildings. A kiosk explaining Matthew Knight Arena’s LEED features is located on the main concourse near the West entrance.

There are four times as many toilets as in Mac Court with over 130 women’s toilets, 65 men’s toilets and 4 family toilets.
The lower bowl of Matthew Knight Arena is closer to the floor and steeper than Mac Court.
Over 50 Point of Sale lines are available to purchase food and beverage in 20 different locations.
Over 200 TVs located in the arena and over 100 of these are located throughout the concourses.
There are four loading dock bays with room underground to turn a 70” truck 360 degrees.
The clean span roof trusses are over 260’ long.

Construction Facts

1,890 employees worked at the site, each earning a wage during one of the worst economies in Oregon history
330,000 cubic yards of dirt were excavated (that’s 30,000 dump truck loads)
50,000 cubic yards of rock
39,000 cubic yards of concrete were poured in the arena and the garage (that’s 3,900 mixers full)
4,840 tons (over 9 million lbs.) of reinforcing steel was placed in the concrete
580,000 lbs. of precast concrete forms the seating bowl
Over 2,900 tons of structural steel were placed
Over 800,000 man hours

Court Design

A nod to the Tall Firs, the nickname of Oregon’s National Championship Basketball team in the 1939.
A unique perspective looking up from a clearing in the forest that celebrates Oregon’s beautiful environment.
Deep in the Woods - Where opponents will find themselves as they play Oregon in this new arena.
The Oregon “O” combined with the Matt Arena Logo at center court.

Matt Arena Logo

Unique letter forms spell out “MATT” in a toothy grin reminiscing Matthew Knight as a child.
A smile, and a Japanese-inspired Torii gate shape, (A Torii gate is a symbol of a sacred place in Japanese culture).
Curved arena forms that connect the Oregon Graphic Identity with the heroic proportions of the arena architecture.