The University of Oregon Athletic Department continually strives to reach the highest level of intercollegiate competition and to provide top quality athletic facilities. In December 2010, Matthew Knight Arena will open its doors, replacing the legendary McArthur Court. Boasting the steepest seating bowl of any collegiate arena, this 12,500-seat sports and entertainment facility is designed to replicate the aura and intimacy of "Mac Court" in a modern and sustainable form. The LEED Gold-targeted building includes two practice courts, a weight room, training and nutrition facilities, ticket offices and two retail Duck Stores. The world class arena will host men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, and numerous other sports, events and concerts. An underground parking structure is being constructed directly adjacent for event and daily use. Matthew Knight Arena is part of a larger project that will become the new gateway to the University of Oregon and inspire future campus development.

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 then appointed Development Manager of Matthew Knight Arena and subsequently the underground parking structure. The initial stages of this $218 million project faced steep political, financing and entitlement challenges; our experience and diligence, most notably in the land use permitting process, proved critical to the ultimate approval and ground breaking of the project. JMI Sports is now providing daily oversight of the design and construction teams. Our attentiveness in project management, along with our expertise in the business of sports, ensures that the University's risk is being mitigated and its opportunity maximized.