Campus THEN and NOW Series – Part 6: McArthur Court

Caitlin H.

October 18, 2009 - 3:21 PM

Mac Court is a place of legends. It is the second oldest active on campus basketball arena still in use in the country. My parents often remind me of the time they travelled to Eugene to see Bob Hope in Mac Court. I remember last spring going to Mac to watch Greg Mortenson and have him sign my copy of Three Cups of Tea. Mac Court has seen me through a lot of campus activities over these past few years. If the plans really are to tear Mac down (which is what I've heard), I'll consider it a great loss in the University of Oregon's rich history. Some day I'll tell you about how disappointed I have been, as a current student, in the development of the new Matthew Knight Arena which will replace Mac Court. But for today...

The 5 Best Features of Mac Court

1. Section 10. The bleachers are more trampoline than standing surface. Some of my fondest memories at the UO have been spent jumping up and down yelling in ‘the PIT.' Take last night's volleyball game for instance. I've rarely seen such thrilling volleyball action. In game three UO and Stanford were trading point for point until the match was finally settled 30-32. When the Ducks pushed the series to game five, I had already exhausted myself with enthusiasm. The Ducks hadn't beat Stanford in a series at home since before I was born. We hadn't beaten Stanford in a series at all since I was two. When the ducks took control of game five and toppled the 5th ranked Cardinals I added another fond memory of wild cheering from section 10.

2. The History. I've kind of already said it. There really aren't words to do justice to what comes over you when step into the arena. Mac Court isn't just building, it is an experience. Walking into the arena and finding your seat feels like you're joining the hundreds who have been through the University of Oregon before you. For me, Mac is a place I feel like I can connect to previous alumni, to previous University presidents, even to previous University staff and faculty. It is a place that reminds me that I'm a part of something now, because I am a Duck. Going to the University of Oregon isn't just a place you go, and then forget. Once you've experienced what it means to be a Duck, you'll always be a Duck. There are other historic buildings on the campus, but not as widely used and not with the same atmosphere.

3. Its Intimate. Mac was designed in a way that you feel like you really get to experience whatever it is you're there to see. Sometimes that's been a basketball or a volleyball game, sometimes it has been a guest speaker on campus, but it is always personal. Our volleyball coach often comes over to thank students for attending after the games even. How often does that happen across the country? During a basketball game I often feel like I'm ‘on the court,' and well, it's because I basically am. It isn't so big you can't see the expressions of the fans on the other side of the court, or so profit driven you feel like your experience is directly impacted by your income. The facility is designed, in both its best and in its worst features, to create an atmosphere where people truly come together.

4. The Daisy Ducks. I know, it sounds cheesy but I really do have a soft spot in my heart for those Daisy Ducks. There is something about halftime bingo during basketball season that just really makes me happy. I'm not going to lie- the thought of actually winning Bingo and having to yell "BINGO" in an arena full of people, still terrifies me. I just looked at their website and they had an announcement for crochet mitten patterns. It actually makes me melt a little bit on the inside with affection.

5. The memories. It sums everything else up into its own category. There was the time my first year here I slept outside before the Arizona game to get great seats. People actually brought mattresses from their residence hall room to sleep on. There was the time I went to Mac Court as a kid with my uncle to watch the Oregon women play and I was sitting near the football coach, Mike Bellotti. Seeing Greg Mortenson speak. Hearing about the times my uncle watched games at Mac as a student. Hearing my parents talk about the times they travelled to Mac. Remembering past experiences with friends. Winning free textbooks during a volleyball game. Sometimes I feel like there is no end to the stories that have emerged from being at the University of Oregon. Mac Court just seems to hold an awful lot of them.