Collegiate Arena for University of Oregon Ducks
Project Overview
The University of Oregon Athletic Department continually strives to reach the highest level of intercollegiate competition and to provide top quality athletic facilities. In January 2011, Matthew Knight Arena opened its doors, replacing the legendary McArthur Court. Garnering industry accolades and national media attention, Matthew Knight Arena is undoubtedly one of the nation’s premier collegiate sports venues. Boasting the steepest seating bowl of any new collegiate arena, this 12,500-seat sports and entertainment venue is designed to replicate the aura and intimacy of “Mac Court” in a modern and sustainable form. The LEED Gold building includes two practice courts, five locker rooms, a weight room, training and nutrition facilities, ticket offices, and two retail Duck Stores. The world class arena hosts men’s and women’s basketball, women’s volleyball, and numerous other sports, concerts and events. In addition, a 377 space underground parking structure was constructed directly adjacent to the arena for event and daily use.
Our Role
JMI Sports initially provided consulting services to the University of Oregon Athletic Department on key planning elements for a new arena, including: the creation of a pricing model to maximize ticket revenues and sponsorships dollars; the crafting of a communication plan to gain buy-in from a broad spectrum of parties; and the refinement of a facility program to ensure that the needs of the many building users would be met. JMI Sports was appointed Development Manager of Matthew Knight Arena, tasked with managing every element of the project on behalf of the University. A year later, after successfully managing the early phases of the arena, our team was appointed Development Manager of the underground parking garage. The initial stages of this combined $218 million project faced steep political, financing and entitlement challenges; our experience and tireless efforts, most notably in the land use permitting process, proved critical to its ultimate approval and ground breaking. JMI Sports diligently managed the design and construction teams throughout the project. The arena’s design and program was significantly enhanced under the leadership of JMI Sports without a cost impact to the project. We were able to add critical program late in the process by deftly managing the fixed budget throughout every phase of the project. The University ultimately received an iconic building, on time and under budget, that met every one of their programmatic and aesthetic objectives.