The University of Oregon is on the way to building a landmark sports facility, the Matthew Knight Arena, which replaces a beloved but aging facility. The university’s athletic department wanted to create a website where fans could learn about the new arena and why it was necessary. They asked Downstream to develop a hub for seating and pricing information that would be a new portal to harness the growing fan excitement leading up to opening day. It was imperative the site expressed the energy of the hot Oregon brand.

Downstream conducted extensive research into the technical and informational requirements for the website. We decided to launch the site in two phases. Phase 1, which launched in October 2008, lays out the basic structure for the future, including streaming media, a countdown clock, renders of the building, and a community section that includes blogs, news, and the ability for fans to send in their questions and images. Phase 2 is under way.

Phase 2 of the site officially launched with the new mactomatt.net on August 17th, 2009. Downstream’s team worked closely with the client to develop richer content, including Flash-based arena comparisons, a webcam, and a much deeper community section. In addition, season ticket holders will be able to virtually enter the arena bowl and see the view from their seat. We have also developed collateral for various events relating to the arena, including the groundbreaking. The Phase 2 site will help the university with its marketing and public relations campaign and facilitate the sales of season tickets, making the arena a success.