SANTA BARBARA — Tennis great Jimmy Connors was arrested outside the campus arena where UC Santa Barbara and top-ranked North Carolina were playing a sold out televised basketball game.

The eight-time Grand Slam champion was taken into custody Friday night after refusing to comply with an order to leave an area near the entrance of the Thunderdome following a confrontation, police Sgt. Dan Massey said in a statement.

Eyewitnesses told KEY News Conners was arrested about 7 p.m. just as the highly anticipated game was about to begin. Conners was taken away in handcuffs by University Police.

A UC Santa Barbara employee said Conners got into a scuffle with a larger man before the two entered the area. Conners never made it inside.

Witnesses said the friction between Conners and the other person actually began with some “elbow throwing” by the ticket booths, and words were exchanged.

A Santa Barbara County jail employee said Connors had not been booked as of early Saturday. It’s not known if the other person was also taken away. He has not been identified.

Connors lives in the Santa Barbara area and attends a handful of the Gauchos' games each season.

Connors was ranked No. 1 for five consecutive years in the 1970s, and had a fiery temperament on the court. Earlier this year, he resigned as Andy Roddick's coach after working together for nearly two years.


--- from Associated Press and KEYT reports