Rupp Arena

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Rupp Arena

Location	432 West Vine Street Lexington, KY 40506
Coordinates	38°02′58″N 84°30′10″W / 38.04944°N 84.50278°W / 38.04944; -84.50278Coordinates: 38°02′58″N 84°30′10″W / 38.04944°N 84.50278°W / 38.04944; -84.50278
Broke ground	June 21, 1974^[1]
Opened	November 28, 1976^[2]
Owner	Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government
Operator	The Lexington Center
Surface	Cawood's Court
Construction cost	$55 million ($217 million in 2014 dollars^{[ 1]}
Architect	Ellerbe Becket^[3]
General contractor	Huber, Hunt & Nichols^[3]
Capacity	23,500 (Basketball) 21,300 (Hockey) 7,550 (Arena Football) 5,000-24,500 (Concerts)
Tenants
Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball (NCAA) (1976–present) Lexington Horsemen (AF2) (2003–2009) Kentucky Thoroughblades (AHL) (1996–2001) Lexington Men O' War (ECHL) (2002–2003)

Rupp Arena is an arena located in downtown Lexington, Kentucky, U.S. Since its opening in 1976, it has been the centerpiece of Lexington Center, a convention and shopping facility owned by an arm of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, which is located next to the Lexington Hyatt and Hilton hotels. Rupp Arena also serves as home court to the University of Kentucky men's basketball program, and is named after legendary former Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp. With an official capacity of 23,500, it is the largest arena designed specifically for basketball, as well as the largest indoor arena by capacity, in the United States. In Rupp Arena, the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team regularly leads the nation in college basketball home attendance.^[4] The arena also regularly hosts concerts, conventions, and shows.

History

The arena's primary tenant is the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball program, but the Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball team has also hosted games there in recent years, particularly an upset in early 2006 of the #1 Tennessee Lady Vols. Rupp Arena was the host of the 1985 NCAA Final Four, won in an upset by eighth-seeded Villanova. It also formerly hosted the Kentucky Thoroughblades (currently the Worcester Sharks) (capacity 10,011) and the Lexington Men O' War (capacity 7,500) minor-league hockey teams, and the Lexington Horsemen arena football team (capacity 7,550), numerous concerts (theater capacity 2,300; concert hall 10,000; arena capacity 23,500), conventions, and other events. It is named after UK coaching legend Adolph Rupp, and opened in 1976, a little more than a year before Rupp's death in late 1977. Since the 1985 Final Four, Rupp Arena has hosted a number of NCAA Tournament regional games, most recently in 2007. Rupp Arena is scheduled to host second and third round NCAA Tournament games in 2013. Rupp Arena is also home to Kentucky's high school boy's basketball Sweet Sixteen, a single elimination tournament which determines the state champion with sixteen teams representing each of Kentucky's regional high school champions.

Seating arrangement

The arena has an official capacity for basketball of 23,500, but has packed in well over 24,000 for many UK basketball games. This is possible because less than half of the seating (approx. 10,000) consists of chair-back seats, all of them in the lower seating bowl. The lower bowl also incorporates a student standing-room area called the "eRUPPtion Zone" behind one goal. The upper bowl is completely made up of bleacher bench seats that allow more capacity than chair-back seats. Unlike many arenas built in the following years, it has no luxury suites, and has never been renovated to add them. However, in 2001 the arena received some minor renovations including: four oversize video boards, new lower bowl seating, new locker rooms and a new court. The demand for UK basketball tickets is so overwhelming that adding suites would inevitably reduce the capacity and possibly lead to a fan backlash. Due to the success of the many great players, coaches, and teams of the University of Kentucky, Rupp Arena has the reputation as one of the most intimidating venues for opposing teams in college basketball.

Milestones

The ceremonial first basket in the new facility was sunk by Adolph's young grandson Chip (Adolph III), who went on to play college basketball at Southeastern Conference (SEC) rival Vanderbilt.
Rupp staged three Southeastern Conference men's basketball tournaments between 1982 and 1993; it was also the host of the Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament in 1992 and 1993.
It hosted WWE Backlash in 2006.
The Rupp Arena attendance record was set on January 2, 2010, when 24,480 people watched #3 Kentucky play rival Louisville. The final score was a 71-62 victory by the Kentucky Wildcats.

University of Kentucky cheerleaders at Rupp Arena during a basketball game.

The UK men are the only basketball program in the SEC that plays home games in an off-campus facility. All of the other programs play on-campus, including the UK women, who play in the men's former home of Memorial Coliseum. However, when the women's program expects an unusually large crowd, it will shift an occasional game to Rupp; they notably upset then top-ranked Tennessee there on January 26, 2006.
Rupp is also home to the annual KHSAA State Basketball Championship, with boys basketball teams from throughout the commonwealth appearing for a shot at the state title.
Rupp Arena is the home court of the Kentucky Wildcats Men's Basketball Team, and Kentucky Men's Basketball now boasts an impressive overall Rupp Arena record of 507-62 (.891) since beginning play there in November of 1976.
The University of Kentucky has led the nation 25 times in NCAA Men's Basketball home attendance (an NCAA record) since the 1976-77 season (the 35 seasons at Rupp Arena), including 17 out of the last 18 seasons, and the last 8 seasons in a row.^[5]
On December 21, 2009, in Rupp Arena, the Kentucky Men's basketball team became the first college basketball program to win 2000 games, in an 88-44 win against the Drexel University Dragons.
Rupp Arena hosted the August 2, 2011 tapings of SmackDown and WWE Superstars, with the former set to air on August 5, 2011, and the latter having aired on August 4, 2011.
Hosted several TV tapings for various WWF shows in '80s & '90s.
The 500th win in Rupp Arena came on 11/27/13 against Eastern Michigan, with Kentucky winning 81-63.

Pageants

Since 2004, Rupp Arena has been home to numerous pageants. Including the Miss Kentucky pageant, The Annual Rupp Arena Dog show, and the Kitty America Pageant for cats.

NCAA Tournament games

2013 Second and Third Rounds
2007 First and Second Rounds
2002 South Regional Semi-finals and Final
1998 First and Second Rounds
1996 Southeast Regional Semi-finals and Final
1994 First and Second Rounds
1992 Southeast Regional Semi-finals and Final
1989 Southeast Regional Semi-finals and Final
1985 NCAA Final Four
1984 Mideast Regional Semi-finals and Final
1980 Mideast Regional Semi-finals and Final
1977 Mideast Regional Semi-finals and Final

Attendance record progression

The Kentucky Wildcats have set or broken the Rupp Arena attendance record 24 times since the arena opened in 1976. In those games, the Wildcats have won 20 times and lost 4 times.^[6]

Attendance	Date	Kentucky opponent	Result
23,266	November 27, 1976	Wisconsin	Won 72–64
23,271	January 12, 1977	Tennessee	Lost 71–67 (OT)
23,392	February 14, 1977	Florida	Won 104–78
23,412	February 26, 1977	Alabama	Won 85–70
23,472	November 26, 1977	SMU	Won 110–86
23,521	December 5, 1977	Indiana	Won 78–64
23,608	March 4, 1978	UNLV	Won 92–70
23,798	December 15, 1979	Indiana	Won 69–58
23,809	December 3, 1980	Ohio State	Won 70–64
23,875	December 13, 1980	Kansas	Won 87–73
24,011	March 1, 1981	LSU	Won 73–71
24,165	December 8, 1981	Indiana	Won 85–69
24,185	February 27, 1983	Tennessee	Won 69–61
24,203	December 7, 1985	Indiana	Won 63–58
24,288	January 14, 1989	LSU	Lost 64–62
24,301	February 15, 1990	LSU	Won 100–95
24,310	March 2, 1991	Auburn	Won 114–93
24,324	January 25, 1992	Arkansas	Lost 105–88
24,332	March 7, 1992	Tennessee	Won 99–88
24,340	December 23, 1995	Louisville	Won 89–66
24,459	February 4, 2003	Florida	Won 70–55
24,465	February 10, 2007	Florida	Lost 64–61
24,473	December 5, 2009	North Carolina	Won 68–66
24,480	January 2, 2010	Louisville	Won 71–62

References

↑ "Ground to Be Broken for Lexington CC". Williamson Daily News. June 29, 1974.
↑ "Crowds Roar Approval As Rupp Arena Opens". The Press-Courier. November 28, 1976.
↑ 3.0 3.1 Lexington Center/Rupp Arena - Ellerbe Becket
↑ "NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Attendance Leaders Year-by-Year (1970-2011)". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved 2011-12-24.
↑ "NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Attendance Leaders Year-by-Year (1970-2011)". National Collegiate Athletic Association.
↑ "Kentucky's Rupp Arena Record". Big Blue History. Retrieved 2008-12-14.

External links

v t e Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball

Venues	State College Gymnasium (1903–1914) Buell Armory Gymnasium (1910–1924) Alumni Gymnasium (1924–1950) Memorial Coliseum (1950–1976) Rupp Arena (1976–present) Joe Craft Center (practice)

Rivalries	Indiana Louisville North Carolina Tennessee

Culture & lore	Basketbowl Fabulous Five "The Greatest Game Ever Played" The Unforgettables

People	Head coaches Honored players NBA draftees Cawood Ledford "Mr. Wildcat"

Seasons	1902–03 1903–04 1904–05 1905–06 1906–07 1907–08 1908–09 1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14

Helms, NIT, and NCAA national championships in bold; NCAA Final Four appearances in italics

Basketball arenas of the Southeastern Conference

Coleman Coliseum (Alabama, men's)
Foster Auditorium (Alabama, women's)
Bud Walton Arena (Arkansas)
Auburn Arena (Auburn)
O'Connell Center (Florida)
Stegeman Coliseum (Georgia)
Rupp Arena (Kentucky, men's)
Memorial Coliseum (Kentucky, women's)
Maravich Assembly Center (LSU)
Humphrey Coliseum (Mississippi State)
Mizzou Arena (Missouri)
Tad Smith Coliseum (Ole Miss)
Colonial Life Arena (South Carolina)
Carolina Coliseum (South Carolina, alternate university-managed venue)
Thompson–Boling Arena (Tennessee)
Reed Arena (Texas A&M)
Memorial Gymnasium (Vanderbilt)

College basketball venues in Kentucky

Division I

A-Sun	The Bank of Kentucky Center (Northern Kentucky)

Big East	KFC Yum! Center (Louisville)

SEC	Rupp Arena (Kentucky men) Memorial Coliseum (Kentucky women)

OVC	CFSB Center (Murray State) Ellis Johnson Arena (Morehead State) Alumni Coliseum (Eastern Kentucky)

Sun Belt	E. A. Diddle Arena (Western Kentucky)

Division II

G-MAC	Alumni Gymnasium (Georgetown) Owensboro Sports Center (Kentucky Wesleyan)

GLVC	Knights Hall (Bellarmine)

SIAC	William Exum Center (Kentucky State)

Division III

Heartland	Clive M. Beck Center (Transylvania)

Presidents	Connor Convocation Center (Thomas More)

SAA	Alumni Gymnasium (Centre)

NAIA

Appalachian	John M. Robsion Arena (Union)

KIAC	Campus Center (Brescia) George E. Luce Physical Activities Center (Asbury) Grady Nutt Athletic Center (Alice Lloyd) Marshall Gymnasium (Midway) Seabury Center (Berea)

Mid-South	Biggers Sports Center (Lindsey Wilson) College Gymnasium (Pikeville) Lourdes Hall (St. Catharine) O. Wayne Rollins Center (Cumberlands) Powell Athletic Center (Campbellsville)

v t e Music venues of Kentucky

Theaters and clubs	Mountain Arts Center Paramount Arts Center

Arenas	Eastern Kentucky Expo Center Freedom Hall KFC Yum! Center Rupp Arena

Festivals	Festival of the Bluegrass Ichthus Music Festival

v t e Lexington, Kentucky

Subject areas	Cityscape Culture Demographics Economy Education Geography Government History (Civil War · Timeline) Major employers Media Parks People Sports Transportation

Culture & Landmarks	Ashland Aviation Museum of Kentucky Calumet Farm CentrePointe Commonwealth Stadium Gratz Park Hunt-Morgan House Keeneland Kentucky Horse Park Kentucky Theatre Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company Lexington Cemetery The Lexington Center Lexington Financial Center Lexington History Center Mary Todd Lincoln House McConnell Springs Mount Horeb Earthworks Complex Pope Villa The Red Mile Rupp Arena Singletary Center for the Arts University of Kentucky Art Museum Waveland State Historic Site Whitaker Bank Ballpark

Colleges and universities	Bluegrass Community and Technical College Indiana Wesleyan University-Lexington ITT Technical Institute-Lexington Lexington Theological Seminary Midway College-Lexington National College-Lexington Spencerian College Sullivan University-Lexington Transylvania University University of Kentucky

Transportation	Blue Grass Airport Citation Boulevard I-75 I-64 KY 1425 KY 1974 Lexington Transit Center Lextran Man o' War Boulevard New Circle Road Paris Pike U.S. 25 U.S. 27 U.S. 60 U.S. 68 U.S. 421 Valley View Ferry

Sports	Kentucky Wildcats Lexington Legends Transylvania Pioneers

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