I don't do a lot of research before I visit new venues because I like to be surprised while discovering things on my own. Other than parking options and ticket prices, I prefer to go in knowing as little as possible. Still, I can't help but read about famous stadiums and that leads to high expectations. So I was really excited about traveling to Rupp Arena, home of the Kentucky Wildcats, which is in most top 10 college basketball arena lists.
I was staying in the north end of Lexington and made the short drive downtown, finding a free spot on 3rd Street near Broadway, a short walk from the venue. Note that 2nd Street is restricted to permit holders and lots in that area are charging $20 but even then, 3rd Street was empty an hour before the game. I double-checked for hidden No Parking signs, and spotting none, locked my car and walked along Broadway towards Rupp Arena.
As I neared the spot on Google Maps where Rupp Arena was located, I became very confused. I saw many blue-clad fans entering a shopping complex called Lexington Center. Must be a shortcut, so I followed them inside, only to discover that the arena is actually part of the complex, which includes hotels and a convention area. That was a surprise. I had to go all the way through to get exteriors shots above, which were taken along High Street.
Back inside, I went to the ticket office, where the cheapest was $50. A scalper saw me approaching and immediately offered a season stub for $20, which I gladly took without negotiating. I immediately went through security and entered the large concourse you see above, which is still outside the arena proper.
Inside, it was quite different than a typical basketball stadium, which a meandering concourse and a few small staircases that allowed views of the throng below. Concessions looked interesting, with the biggest lines in the concourse at the ice cream stands. If you go to Rupp, you must try a soft serve ice cream cone from Borden. Approximately 1 in 6 fans does that every game. I did, and I found it to be tasty, much like any other soft serve. But don't tell the locals that! It is considered the best ice cream on the planet by many Lexingtonians.
Having sated my sugar craving, I then stepped into the seating bowl and was amazed at all the Kentucky blue. Every seat and nearly every fan was wearing the same colour. It is quite impressive, with perhaps only the Dean Dome in Chapel Hill rivalling its monochromaticity.
The seats along the side are plush and comfortable. White pom-poms were left on every seat, which obscures the blue somewhat, but you can see the thickness of the seat in the photo below. Some of the nicest seats I've seen in a sports venue.
The corner and end zone seats are more typical hard plastic seats with some padding. Note how the last sideline section does not face the court in the photo below; this venue was not designed specifically for basketball and has been used for hockey in the past. Both the AHL and ECHL have had teams based at Rupp Arena.
The student section is limited to an area behind one of the baskets and is known as the eRUPPtion Zone. Tickets to this area are sold to the general public for less appealing matches. Before the game, a giant Kentucky banner is held over the students here (you can see a picture in the link above). The shot below is of the eRUPPtion Zone after the game. The pom-poms were not popular souvenirs.
Before the game with the eRUPPtion Zone in the distance. Note the screens in each corner; they show stats during the games.
As you move into the upper deck seats, you will find those along the sides are hard plastic chairbacks. These were installed just this year as part of a renovation that lowered capacity from 23,500 to 20,545, thus making Louisville's KFC Yum Center the 2nd largest NCAA basketball venue. Rupp fell all the way to fifth, behind the aforementioned Dean Smith Center and Thompson-Boling Arena, home of the Tennessee Volunteers.
The remaining sections in the corners and ends are simply benches, as you can see above. These sections are the last to sell and I sat here so I could have some space to myself.
Of course, Kentucky has had a lot of success on the court, and there are plenty of banners to show. Unlike Louisville, Kentucky has not had to take one down, though the Wildcats did vacate 2 tournament wins and 1 tournament loss from 1988. I did not see any trophies here and would guess they are somewhere on campus.
The view from midcourt in the upper deck is quite nice. Rupp Arena was constructed without suites or luxury boxes, and that makes it quite compact for a venue holds over 20,000 fans. People complain about the atmosphere here as many of the seats in the lower bowl are occupied by elderly fans who don't cheer as loudly as students, but I thought it was noisy when it needed to be.
Before the game, the lights go out and a blue tinge envelops the fans, who use an app on their phone to make a very cool sight.
Late in the game, I moved down and enjoyed the final few minutes from the vantage point above. Most fans remained until the end, despite the game no longer being a contest by this point. Overall, however, I was just a bit disappointed in Rupp, mainly because it wasn't a standalone building and didn't have as much history. I love seeing silverware and pictures of glory days long past, but I guess those are not possible when the arena is used for other purposes and off campus. Still, if you are a college hoops fans and haven't been, you need to go and see what all the fuss is about. And get an ice cream too.
The Game
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets were the first Power 5 visitors to Rupp this season, and they were coming off a rout at home at the hands of Syracuse. Obviously stung by that, the Yellow Jackets buzzed for the first few minutes and actually grabbed a 26-21 lead that had some in the crowd looking worried. But a 10-0 Wildcat run helped them take a 36-30 lead at the half.
Kentucky scored the first 6 points in the second half, but Tech swarmed back with an 11-2 run to get within 44-41. The Wildcats then turned on the defense and squished the Jackets attack, going on their own 11-2 run that put them back up by 12 and they coasted the rest of the way, exterminating the Yellow Jackets 67-53. Georgia Tech only scored 10 points in the final 10 minutes, a sign of the stifling defense. The difference in the score was almost entirely due to fouls: Kentucky was 15-18, GT was 2-6. Not that it was a poorly officiated game; Kentucky simply went to the hoop more and was rewarded.
After the game, the spirit teams lead fans in the singing of My Old Kentucky Home, which is one reason fans stay until the end. The scoreboard shows a video and includes the lyrics for outsiders like myself. A very nice way to end My Old Kentucky College Basketball Doubleheader.
Best,
Sean
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