Over the past eight decades, McArthur Court has earned a reputation as one of the most frightening venues in college basketball.
On game nights, boisterous students pack the courtside bleachers and fans produce a bone-chilling roar that echoes throughout the arena. The rickety wooden arena trembles when fans get going, producing a rumble that can be felt across the court.
Sunday marked the 80th anniversary of the first game ever played there, in which the University of Oregon Tall Firs crushed Willamette University 38-10.
But with talk of building a new $180 million facility, Mac Court’s legacy may be coming to a close.
“At some point Mac Court needs to be replaced,” said Athletic Department spokesman Dave Williford. “It’s inevitable.”
Williford called the stadium “physically inadequate.” It’s the second oldest active on-campus arena in the country and though it has undergone a number of renovations, it only holds a little under 10,000 people.
“Ventilation is inadequate. Downstairs, the locker rooms … they’re cramped,” he said. “There’s only so much you can do with the existing structure.”
While the arena’s shortcomings are undeniable, so is the unique experience of seeing a game in the arena with nearly 10,000 screaming Duck fans.
“It’s just electric,” said senior Charlie Baumann, a member of the Pit Crew, a student group for Ducks basketball fans. “It has an acoustic quality better than anywhere I’ve ever been for a basketball game.”
So cramped is the arena floor that fans can reach out and touch players inbounding the ball. Fans even claim they’ve been able to make the hoops shake by jumping in the stands. Many believe the combination of the fans and the rustic architecture gives the Ducks a real competitive edge.
“That’s very apparent because of how well we’ve done at home,” said H.J. Cohn, a student manager for the men’s basketball team. “It really feels like the place is going to come down with all the emotion and excitement.”
Oregon soccer standout Nicole Garbin, who played with the Oregon women’s basketball team for the first half of this season, said that while Mac Court is undoubtedly a special place for an athlete to play, the most important part of the Mac Court experience is the fans who come to the games.
“It’s really special,” Garbin said. “The amount of fans who come out to games – even for the women’s games, they average something like 4,000 fans – is just amazing.”
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