Big Knight For Arena

The Matthew Knight Arena, the new basketball venue on the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene, had its maiden voyage Jan. 13. It was a stellar event, with the Ducks beating USC in roundball 68-62.

But, like so many new venues, there was one small problem that nobody could have anticipated.

The venue is named after the son of Nike co-founder and Ducks benefactor Phil Knight and his wife, Penny. The Knights donated $100 million to the athletic department’s Legacy Fund, which helped fund the 12,500-seat replacement for the university’s loved but aging MacArthur Court.

Matthew Knight died in a 2004 scuba diving accident in El Salvador, where he was working for an orphanage.

Phil Knight took to the floor to address the crowd in a rare public appearance and got a standing ovation.

“I’ve got to believe Matthew’s looking down pleased, as my grandmother would say, pleased as punch,” he said.

Although Mac Court was known for its raucous and intimidating atmosphere, it was the second-oldest active on-campus arena in Division I NCAA basketball. The first game was played there in 1927.

This $227 million arena, on the other hand, comes complete with a state-of-the-art video scoreboard that has been dubbed “Knight Vision” and spiffy locker rooms and players’ lounge.

It also has a basketball court that was designed by Tinker Hatfield, with the image of brown-and-tan fir trees embedded around the edges, contrasted by open sky in the center.

Well, it looks great inside the arena.

But the contrasting sky-versus-trees was a major eyesore for television viewers. OregonLive noted that the contrast and glare “are not nearly as stark from an arena seat as it appears on television.”

The contrast has been reported as “tremendous,” and will likely need to be addressed. For those who wish to judge for themselves, a clip from the first game has been posted to YouTube.