ITS BROKEN—The Dynamics of Fixing Rupp Arena
- Thread starter mbc82584
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Went down to a Kfund rank of 7900 out of 80,000. Gave quite a bit but don’t know how much. Give every time they call. Hard for me to turn down students calling for pledges
Also have season tickets to every sport. That helps your Kfund ranking
Yes, in my experience buying season tickets to every sport is the best way.
Well, it must be an unwritten rule, then. Because they sit. Period. Their default position is to sit.
I agree people sit alot. I just haven’t seen people being told to sit.
It's kind of the "we have already seen it all" feeling.... a dunk or a 3 pointer isn't going to get UK fans excited. Hell it's really the expectation. Part of it's because yes UK fans are the most knowledgeable in basketball.
We really do need young kids in the lower bowl who still get excited...
I would hope it wouldn't happen often. I don't get to go to games anymore and have never sat near the floor
but somebody telling me to sit down would be like somebody telling me to shut up and nobody has EVER told me to shut up and and been happy with the results.
There's more action in a full amputee porno than in the lower area of Rupp.. If there's ever a change for the better then that needs fixed..
I totally agree DraftCat. UK fans are knowledgeable and passionate about the team. Just look at this forum as an example. And yes, we do expect threes and dunks and amazing play- elite play. And when we get it, yep, that's what was supposed to happen. And when we don't, we're ticked off. We're more likely to boo bad play or bad coaching than we are to cheer the team into a win.
But yes, if we want the atmosphere to be even close to what we saw at Auburn or Miss St or what we regularly see at Duke or other venues, we must-have a younger crowd in the lower bowl, especially right on the edges of the court. And we're gonna have to stand up and cheer.
I feel like this is overstated quite a bit.
Sure it's not as loud as it could be but during a big game, it's definitely loud enough.
Sure it's not as loud as it could be but during a big game, it's definitely loud enough.
I bet you were being an ass like you are on here. That is why you were told to sit/calm down.
I’ve said many times on here over the years:
1) move the students to the first 10 rows ALL THE WAY AROUND THE FLOOR
2) to pacify the big donors for losing their prime seats, take the top 4-8 rows of the lower arena and create Box Seating, with rails and slightly wider padded seats and a personal waiter.
3) (this one is not as important as first 2) I think the blaring music has taken away some of the spontaneous fan chants, blue-white back and forth from side to side, and (slowly) “C….A…..T….S” from each of the 4 sides (which is way better than the fast “C A T S Cats Cats Cats”). I’m not saying no blaring music, I get that is the modern thing to do, but doesn’t have to be in every stop of play
1) move the students to the first 10 rows ALL THE WAY AROUND THE FLOOR
2) to pacify the big donors for losing their prime seats, take the top 4-8 rows of the lower arena and create Box Seating, with rails and slightly wider padded seats and a personal waiter.
3) (this one is not as important as first 2) I think the blaring music has taken away some of the spontaneous fan chants, blue-white back and forth from side to side, and (slowly) “C….A…..T….S” from each of the 4 sides (which is way better than the fast “C A T S Cats Cats Cats”). I’m not saying no blaring music, I get that is the modern thing to do, but doesn’t have to be in every stop of play
Lol you got me fired up now OP, I’ve gone on several Rupp Arena rants this year, it’s really very frustrating. Just a waste of a great fan base and potential advantage.
I’ve heard Cal thank the crowd several times this year for their support during the game.
I really like your point #1. I think that would make the biggest difference immediately. I'm not sure how to appease the big donors. Those big donors are the reason this remains a conversation year after year. I don't think it will ever happen. Maybe after another generation dies. Not before.
By the way, I've seen something similar about the dynamics of some churches I've worked with. The blue hairs get what they want because they have money and influence, and they aren't afraid to do what they must to get their way. Change is slow, like snail pace slow, with that generation. But for those churches, it's change or die in some cases, depending on the issue at hand. For Rupp, you're dealing with multiple issues- money issues, generational issues, tradition issues, multiple stigmas. My guess? It won't change in any of our lifetimes.
"It's good enough" as someone else said right here. That might be the death nell. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." And who says it's broke? Who is that? Right. "My family has sat in these seats for 4 generations and that won't change. We cheer when the team deserves it. We don't when they don't deserve it. We sit 90% of the time and we earned that right."
Bottom line: we cry and moan and nothing will happen. I hate it. I'd love to see UK students and young adults surrounding the floor and making noise and making life miserable for opponents. But it's not happening.
THE RUPP PROBLEM IS AS ALWAYS....get the students around the floor. That is all. First 5 rows all the way around should be students. Us old folks can be behind that. Should be a rail between students around the floor and the rest of the fans. UK just wants to put the students in a section. They need to be everywhere.
Part 2.
Does not need to be downtown. It needs to be on campus and probably around 20k with tons of modern features. Will not happen till Mitch is and Cal are gone.
Part 3.
Have noticed that the % of young fans are far less over the past 25 years. My 3 kids only 1 follows at all and he might watch 2 or 3 games a year. My daughter 34 this year never (ever followed) UK or sports of any type. My youngest 26 played football and wrestled all the way through high school but he never followed any sports outside of his team and playing. He has far too many other interests.
My brother and I have been to final fours, Rupp many a time, Commonwealth, Baseball and such. We took our kids to games and such. He has 2 older than any of mine as my brother is 8 years older and of his 2 one follow half hearted and the other hates anything to do with sports. He is in the gorge about every weekend or takes trips out to Colorado to be out hiking.
My sister follows with her husband but their 2 kids do not follow UK sports at all.
My dad was a huge UK fan till he died at 50 years old back in the early 80's. Big Rupp man. Hated Hall. Sound familiar.
Part 2.
Does not need to be downtown. It needs to be on campus and probably around 20k with tons of modern features. Will not happen till Mitch is and Cal are gone.
Part 3.
Have noticed that the % of young fans are far less over the past 25 years. My 3 kids only 1 follows at all and he might watch 2 or 3 games a year. My daughter 34 this year never (ever followed) UK or sports of any type. My youngest 26 played football and wrestled all the way through high school but he never followed any sports outside of his team and playing. He has far too many other interests.
My brother and I have been to final fours, Rupp many a time, Commonwealth, Baseball and such. We took our kids to games and such. He has 2 older than any of mine as my brother is 8 years older and of his 2 one follow half hearted and the other hates anything to do with sports. He is in the gorge about every weekend or takes trips out to Colorado to be out hiking.
My sister follows with her husband but their 2 kids do not follow UK sports at all.
My dad was a huge UK fan till he died at 50 years old back in the early 80's. Big Rupp man. Hated Hall. Sound familiar.
At my age, in both football and basketball, I've had more trouble with people yelling at me to stand up, even being mean and calling me a blue hair for not standing, not telling me to sit. Those people are more annoying to me than anything. Stand when you want, I'll stand when I want. I stand at appropriate times, but I'm not going to stand for an entire game.
Of course 24,000 people are going to be loud sometimes. But the noise is from the upper decks. The atmosphere near the court is very different and that's the problem.
I'm sure the "blue hairs" will sell you their tickets for a price. Everyone on here complains about the arena and NIL, but consistently say "i'm not paying for players" and "im not paying that much for tickets", and consistently say "let the rich boosters do that." But when the rich boosters do that, you want their seats. You can't have it both ways. Spend the money or quit complaining. It is really that simple.
As someone who hates our home setup the most.. part of it is just because Rupp is an actual event venue and not just some team's 8k on-campus gymnasium where students are on top of the other team.
Still.. we could do a heck of a lot better with the student sections. They should be expanded and there should be a better concerted effort to get students in there.
Still.. we could do a heck of a lot better with the student sections. They should be expanded and there should be a better concerted effort to get students in there.
But it's really not that simple. UK makes a lot more money on tv, radio, and other ways than they make on those prime seats. Letting only old rich people have all those seats instead of students is just shortsighted, counterproductive, short term GREED. Everybody else doesn't do it that way and we don't have to either.
Over the years I've sat just about everywhere in Rupp. I've been so high up in the upper arena my back touched the wall. I've had seats in the lower arena, usually in one of the corners.
Rupp can be raucous at times and it can be pretty sedate. A lot of it just depends on our opponent and what is going on during the game. I've seen us play teams like Kansas and Tennessee and it is loud as hell there. I've seen games against really bad teams and it can be a lot harder to get our fans stirred up.
Rupp can be raucous at times and it can be pretty sedate. A lot of it just depends on our opponent and what is going on during the game. I've seen us play teams like Kansas and Tennessee and it is loud as hell there. I've seen games against really bad teams and it can be a lot harder to get our fans stirred up.
The "boosters" that everyone talk about here, the ones that actually pay for the arena upgrades and new facilities have those seats. So, no, they don't make more money off of tv and radio, The numbers might be higher, but the facilities and NIL are paid by those people that everyone here is complaining about. You think the Hammer and Joe Craft are going to move up and let students sit in their seats and still pay the NIL money and build new facilities for UK? Again, everyone complaining gives shit money, these people give real money. That is why they have those seats and can sit down if they want.
You will thrown out if you cheer for UK? Make some more shit up. Have you ever actually been in Rupp Arena?
Awesome points ole boy, Rupp just is what it is. Loud is not allowed near the court and that’s our programs biggest current problem
Dude I’m telling you, sit in the lower arena and just yell for your team the entire game and you will get crushed.
And once again, I have gone to at least 5 games a year for 35 years and they are all close to the court or lowers.
I've had lower arena seats 12 rows off of the court since the 70s. I don't use them now, my grandkids do, but I've never been told to sit down or be quiet. That is made up. If you are being an ass, sure, you will get told to calm down, but if you are cheering, never.
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