With extra SEC money, will UK build on campus basketball arena?
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I have to wonder if the YUM! debacle has soured both the state legislature (to whatever extent they would necessarily be involved in a new arena deal) and the general public on something like this for generations to come. Even setting YUM! aside, the recession of 2008 and a general uneasiness with spending means, I think, that even some passionate BBN card carrying members just don't have the stomach any longer for this kind of facilities arms race.
If Ole Miss can find $90 million for a new basketball arena, then UK can get together at least $130 million. Most could be covered by Joe Craft, K fund, title sponsors etc and the state wouldn't have to foot too much if any at all.
As for the idea that the economic health of downtown and Lexington to a greater degree, I get that Rupp Arena moving would negatively effect things in the immediate down town area. However, what about the possibility for growth up and down Nicholasville and Tates Creek roads if the new arena were to be built near CWS?
Downtown would recover, and move on. People are always going to traffic the bars, hotels, and businesses in that area because there isn't a lot of other options in Lexington. It's not like Kentucky Basketball is moving out of the state. It's moving about 2 miles down the road. Folks on game days are still going to stay, eat, drink, and spend money downtown. I understand that it may not be to as great of a degree, but making up for it and finding other ways to generate money is what local and state leaders and planners are for.
As for the idea that the economic health of downtown and Lexington to a greater degree, I get that Rupp Arena moving would negatively effect things in the immediate down town area. However, what about the possibility for growth up and down Nicholasville and Tates Creek roads if the new arena were to be built near CWS?
Downtown would recover, and move on. People are always going to traffic the bars, hotels, and businesses in that area because there isn't a lot of other options in Lexington. It's not like Kentucky Basketball is moving out of the state. It's moving about 2 miles down the road. Folks on game days are still going to stay, eat, drink, and spend money downtown. I understand that it may not be to as great of a degree, but making up for it and finding other ways to generate money is what local and state leaders and planners are for.
Isn't a new baseball facility being built and be ready next season? We have a new first year coach and before today's game has us in the top 6 teams in the nation!
In terms of capacity, it is still the largest basketball specific arena in the world.
I know Cuse plays in the Carrier Dome for football, right? So that eliminates that one. I thought there was one in the Phillipines or something that was bigger than ours.
Whoever thinks a renovation resulting in 12,000 seating capacity must be a total idiot.
Obviously, upgrade Rupp's upper with nice chairbacks and cup holders. Improve audio and wifi capabilities along with a couple box suites.
Any extra revenue to upgrade the Wildcat Coal Lodge and further modernize practice/training areas. There was a negative perception about some of the aging facilities mentioned by recruits previously. We are the gold standard.
Any extra revenue to upgrade the Wildcat Coal Lodge and further modernize practice/training areas. There was a negative perception about some of the aging facilities mentioned by recruits previously. We are the gold standard.
When we do, we need to make it even larger. There needs to be the suites and the seats for the Blue haired old folks but there needs to be more seats for the working stiff. If we can go to 32-35K then there will be seats for us common folk. I love the idea
Damn dude, apparently you're the idiot. I was replying to a comment made nearly TWO years ago. The idea had been floated that UK should build an on-campus arena. Stretch98 then said Lex. could not support two arenas. My response (#2) was about what would happen to Rupp should UK ever move out. If you're going to respond to a thread that's 2 years old, at least read it first.
They wouldn't use that money towards that anyways. They would get rich donors to do it just like IU has done to renovate AH.
It would be the greatest upset in the history of Rupp Arena to see UK ditch Rupp in lieu of building an on campus arena. UK may want it and so may many fans but the cost of building a "gold standard" arena would be in excess of $200 million dollars. Then, should it be built, Lexington would have two facilities seating 20,000 plus in a city with only 300,000 people. No other city in the United States has such a duplication of large public facilities.
State and local politicians would not approve such an expenditure. UK has some clout and independence but not enough to flip off state and local officials and build their own arena, particularly with the incremental improvements being made to Rupp over the last several years.
Thanks Keyser for bringing back the 2 year old thread. 
Rupp needs backed seats throughout and suites/boxes to generate revenue for UK. If the city/state is willing to help foot the bill for those upgrades, I agree that we will never leave Rupp.
With all of the money the state has just GIVEN UofL through the Yum deal, why can't UK get the equivalent?
Rupp needs backed seats throughout and suites/boxes to generate revenue for UK. If the city/state is willing to help foot the bill for those upgrades, I agree that we will never leave Rupp.
With all of the money the state has just GIVEN UofL through the Yum deal, why can't UK get the equivalent?
FYI, the recent announcements of adding chairbacks to Rupp in the next phase of upgrades will result in a net LOSS of capacity. Probably 1500-3000 seas. So, get ready for UK's home court to go from the leader in national attendance to well down the list.
All those crying for chair backs had better not bemoan the loss of the national attendance title or the fact that the Yum Center and Dean Dome may hold more fans. You guys asked for it.
All those crying for chair backs had better not bemoan the loss of the national attendance title or the fact that the Yum Center and Dean Dome may hold more fans. You guys asked for it.
There will be no on campus arena and there will not be any more upgrades to Rupp for at least a decade.
After all the money spent on Diallo's scholarship, room, board and expert coaching these last 4 months UK will be years digging out of this hole...
After all the money spent on Diallo's scholarship, room, board and expert coaching these last 4 months UK will be years digging out of this hole...
We already had an iconic facility and UK turn its back on it. If you are 55 and older and you were privileged to witness a game in Memorial Coliseum prior to 1977, you know what I am talking about. Cameron Indoor
is 10 years older than Memorial. It
hadn't hurt them a bit. Should have never moved off campus.
is 10 years older than Memorial. It
hadn't hurt them a bit. Should have never moved off campus.
Yep. People who think that the upper arena is awful now...and have some grand illusion that we could have 32K fans in a new Rupp sitting comfortably with seat backs...they are in a dream world. SCIENCE. It is not possible. You are talking about a small football stadium with a roof over it....Syracuse style. There is no way to have good views with that many people. And with a bad view...I stay home and watch on my 70" HD TV.
A larger issue is the parlous state of higher education in the USA and of course KY. Higher education is horribly inefficient and as students and parents rebel at the cos/benefit, colleges will begin dropping like flies. Who in the world wants to pay $100K for a degree that has marginal value versus some "trade school" education that can net the student a purpose built job for $60 K almost right out of the chute. Rupp renovation must be seen in this larger context as much as I adore UK basketball.
I agree, but a new arena would not have no bearing on the price of an education. UK basketball pays for itself and is not subsidized by educational funds. If it takes student money to pay for an arena, then it should not be considered. Something like this needs to be able to fly on its own, or it shouldn't be built.
And the fact that UK does not own Rupp Arena and has not paid for any of the renovations so far. UK is just a tenant.
What are the details on what the city is planning to do as far as gutting the Center and having an outdoor area?
Renovate Young Library, making it into the new arena. That place is a palace. Move the books to Rupp.
I don't know that their is a finite future for UK basketball in downtown Lex. They both may be inexorably tied to each other ad Infinitum.
I've been over this many times before.
UK will never build an on campus basketball arena.
The reason is, what happens on the 345 nights that there isn't a UK basketball game?
An on campus arena cannot compete with Rupp Arena for concerts and other events unless it is actually SMALLER than Rupp. Which nobody wants. Rupp has an attached hotel, plenty of parking, nearby restaurants and bars, and the attached Lexington Center. UK has no comparable facilities on campus. So tour managers and convention planners would vastly prefer Rupp over an arena stuck in the middle of a dry college campus. There isn't enough corporate sponsorship revenue in the entire state to make an arena the size of Rupp profitable on 20 basketball games. Unless y'all want to pay $200 for nosebleed seat, and over $1000 for lower arena seats, it's not happening.
Not only that, but managing an arena is expensive. It involves lots of people, dedicated space for arena management and ticket sales, money for advertising, hiring and managing maintenance and concession workers, dealing with Ticketmaster etc., negotiating contracts with artists and event managers, etc. An on-campus arena might even cost UK significantly more for its master liability insurance policy. UK does not want to get into the event management business.
I've been to many larger on-campus arenas built in recent years. None of them have a competing arena of the same size within a mile of the campus. Maryland's campus is 5 miles from the Verizon Center in downtown DC. Villanova just won a championship and is renovating but not expanding its tiny on-campus arena. It will continue to play its big games in the Wells Fargo Center (which is REALLY far away from the campus, it's a 30 minute drive on a good day) The Dean Dome at UNC does not compete with anything in Chapel Hill or even the Triangle.
The only people who are really inconvenienced by going to Rupp are the students. Yet they continue to fill the student section.
UK will never build an on campus basketball arena.
The reason is, what happens on the 345 nights that there isn't a UK basketball game?
An on campus arena cannot compete with Rupp Arena for concerts and other events unless it is actually SMALLER than Rupp. Which nobody wants. Rupp has an attached hotel, plenty of parking, nearby restaurants and bars, and the attached Lexington Center. UK has no comparable facilities on campus. So tour managers and convention planners would vastly prefer Rupp over an arena stuck in the middle of a dry college campus. There isn't enough corporate sponsorship revenue in the entire state to make an arena the size of Rupp profitable on 20 basketball games. Unless y'all want to pay $200 for nosebleed seat, and over $1000 for lower arena seats, it's not happening.
Not only that, but managing an arena is expensive. It involves lots of people, dedicated space for arena management and ticket sales, money for advertising, hiring and managing maintenance and concession workers, dealing with Ticketmaster etc., negotiating contracts with artists and event managers, etc. An on-campus arena might even cost UK significantly more for its master liability insurance policy. UK does not want to get into the event management business.
I've been to many larger on-campus arenas built in recent years. None of them have a competing arena of the same size within a mile of the campus. Maryland's campus is 5 miles from the Verizon Center in downtown DC. Villanova just won a championship and is renovating but not expanding its tiny on-campus arena. It will continue to play its big games in the Wells Fargo Center (which is REALLY far away from the campus, it's a 30 minute drive on a good day) The Dean Dome at UNC does not compete with anything in Chapel Hill or even the Triangle.
The only people who are really inconvenienced by going to Rupp are the students. Yet they continue to fill the student section.
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