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McArthur Court

1926 establishments in OregonBasketball venues in OregonCollege basketball venues in the United StatesDefunct college basketball venues in the United StatesOregon Ducks basketball
Sports venues completed in 1926Sports venues in Eugene, OregonUniversity of Oregon buildings
Mac Court1
Mac Court1

McArthur Court is a basketball arena located on the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene and the former home of the Oregon Ducks men's and women's basketball teams, replaced in 2011 by Matthew Knight Arena.Also known as "The Pit" or "Mac Court," it was known as one of the most hostile arenas in the nation. The arena is named for Clifton N. (Pat) McArthur, U. S. Congressman and Oregon student-athlete and the school's first student body president.Its unique and antiquated structure has the fans on top of the court. The maple floor bounces under the weight of the student section that surrounds the court. In 2001 Sporting News named it "best gym in America". For its history, character, and atmosphere, sports writer and arena researcher Bill Kintner named McArthur Court in his top five of college basketball arenas in America. He notes that McArthur Court "is a building that will give you chills even if there is no game being played."The arena was funded by a $15 fee imposed by the Associated Students of the University of Oregon and the mortgage papers were burned as part of a public ceremony after the building was completely paid for. Until it was replaced in 2011, it was the second-oldest on-campus arena still in use, after Fordham University's Rose Hill Gym. McArthur Court saw its first game on January 14, 1927, a 38–10 Oregon victory over Willamette University. Among its finest moments are two upsets over #1 UCLA in the mid-1970s and another upset of the top-ranked Bruins on January 6, 2007. An undefeated home season in 2001–02 propelled the Ducks to the "Elite Eight" in the NCAA Tournament. Players to call the court home over the years include Ron Lee, Greg Ballard, Blair Rasmussen, Terrell Brandon, Fred Jones, Luke Ridnour, Luke Jackson, Malik Hairston, and Aaron Brooks. Women began playing in 1974 and played their first game at McArthur Court on January 23, 1974 against Southern Oregon University. Mac Court was also home to the OSAA high school Class A-1 state basketball tournament from 1947 to 1965, and the AA, 5A and 6A boys' basketball championships from 1971 to 1996 and 2004 to 2009. Elvis Presley performed on 11-25-1976 and 11-27-1976. The Grateful Dead played on 01-22-1978 officially released as Dave's Picks Volume 23.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article McArthur Court (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

McArthur Court
University Street, Eugene

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N 44.0416 ° E -123.074 °
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McArthur Court

University Street 1601
97403 Eugene
Oregon, United States
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University of Oregon

The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the university also has two Portland locations, and manages a marine station, called the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, in Charleston; and an observatory, called Pine Mountain Observatory, in Central Oregon. The University of Oregon is organized into nine colleges and schools and offers 316 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Most academic programs follow the 10 week Quarter System. The university is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and is a member of the Association of American Universities. Since July 2014, UO has been governed by its own board of trustees. UO's 295-acre campus is situated along the Willamette River. UO student athletes compete as the Ducks and are part of the Pac-12 Conference in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). With eighteen varsity teams, the Oregon Ducks are best known for their football team and track and field program. These two teams are even incorporated into the design of the school's "O" logo. In the summer of 2022, UO hosted the 2022 World Athletics Championships. It was the first time the event was held in the United States. UO's colors are green and yellow.The university has a long and complex relationship with Nike, Inc., and the firm's co-founder Phil Knight. As a consequence of state higher-education disinvestment starting in the 1990s, UO has embraced a "University of Nike" image. Fueled by large investments in athletic infrastructure, this trend has accelerated in recent years. Knight, an alumnus, has advocated for both athletic prominence and increased privatisation of the university, and has donated over $1 billion to UO since the late-1980s, much of it going towards athletics. The school's "O" logo was designed by Nike in 1998 and sports facility projects on campus typically involve both Knight and Nike.