Citizen Staff Writer
Wildcat blog
Oregon’s Mac Court, famously nicknamed “The Pit,” has been one of my favorite places to see a basketball game.
The student section is energetic and creative. The games between Arizona and Oregon typically have high intensity and are high-scoring.
The building is one of the most underappreciated venues in the West, even if it is 82 years old and needs work. It’s old and rickety. But that’s the charm of it.
I joked Friday that if a fire hit, no one would survive because it would be too damn hard to get out. It’s a maze of confusion, but a charming one.
“Every time I go there I go up to the top tier and it amazes me that someone would buy a seat where they can’t even see the floor,” UA interim coach Russ Pennell said, referring to some of the sight lines.
“It’s such a unique place and they have so much pride in it,” Pennell added. “Literally, it is a pit and they’re there yelling right on top of you.”
The place rocks for big games and through my 18-plus years of covering Arizona basketball it was a rarity when it didn’t rock – and seemingly roll.
When the crowd is into it, it feels like an earthquake just hit. I’ll miss this place with it being my last time covering Arizona here. In two years, Mac Court will be replaced by the $227 million Matthew Knight Arena.