Oregon Public Broadcasting

University of Oregon Duck basketball fans got some good news Friday. The State Board of Higher Education voted to allow the construction of a new, state of the art basketball arena in Eugene. Ethan Lindsey reports.

Because of the arena, a relatively mundane vote about bond sales attracted a lot of attention.

The University needed the board's approval to sell $200 million in taxpayer-backed bonds to build the arena.

The board's approval was expected - but a recent land use ruling on the arena's local impacts forced board members to reconsider the project.

George Pernsteiner is the chancellor of the state's university system.

George Pernsteiner: “It did come up, and it was addressed directly. Representatives of the University went through all of the aspects of the project, including the most recent land use decision. And I think board's concerns were allayed.”

Critics question why the university is building an extravagant arena when the school's academics face funding problems.