Oregon broke ground Saturday for its new $227 million basketball arena and announced a $5 million gift to the project from athletic director Pat Kilkenny.
The Matthew Knight Arena is named in honor of Nike co-founder
Phil Knight's son, who died in a scuba-diving accident in 2004.
The new arena, scheduled to open in January 2011, will replace
82-year-old McArthur Court.
Among those attending the groundbreaking ceremony were Kilkenny,
Knight, men's basketball coach Ernie Kent and former Oregon
receiver Ahmad Rashad.
The arena's court will be named Kilkenny Court to recognize
Kilkenny's contribution on behalf of his family.
