History
McArthur Court opened in December 1926 and hosted its first game on January 14, 1927. Oregon's basketball teams played there for more than eight decades, and it also hosted state high school tournaments.
Matthew Knight Arena replaced it in 2011. In 2014 it housed temporary student union space, and the building remains standing.
Why it matters: One of the oldest major-college basketball arenas, in use for 84 years.
Timeline
- January 14, 1927First game[1]
Oregon beat Willamette 38-10 in the first game.
- January 23, 1974Women's basketball debut[1]
The women's team played its first game at Mac Court.
- 2011Replaced[1]
Matthew Knight Arena replaced McArthur Court.
- March 31, 2014EMU South[2]
The former arena opened as temporary student union space during the Erb Memorial Union renovation.
The site today
| Physical status | Standing, repurposed |
|---|---|
| Current use | Physical education, intramurals and temporary campus office space[2,3] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Oregon Ducks | NCAA · 1927–2011 |
|---|
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Other names | Mac Court |
|---|---|
| Location | Eugene, Oregon |
| Venue type | Arena |
| Sports | Basketball |
| Level | NCAA |
| Opened | December 1926[1] |
| Last used for sports | 2011[1] |
| Physical status | Standing, repurposed |
| Final capacity | 9,087[1] |
| Architect | Lawrence & Holford[1] |
| Owner / operator | University of Oregon |
Documented details
- Sporting News named it the best gym in America in 2001.[1]
Sources
- McArthur Court, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: architect, capacity, closed, coordinates, events, opened, teams
- Move is on to "EMU South," which opens with spring term, University of Oregon. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: current land use
- I'm Preemptively Mad About UO Tearing Down McArthur Court, Substack (Ditch Rich). Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: current land use
Research confidence
Some facts on this page rely on a single source or are still being corroborated. Treat specific dates and figures with care. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.