Rupp Arena Renovations

[HoopsDavid]

I have not been inside of Rupp Arena for about 8 years.
I follow this board religiously and very little has been posted about the Rupp renovations, that I can remember. Seems like it brought a lot of excitement when it was announced with renderings, but not much commentary since. The renderings looked very nice and modern.
It is finished? How does it stack up now with the new concourses and amenities?

 

[mbc82584]

It’s beautiful for sure but the game day environment is sad. My wife and I went to Thompson bowling for the uk/ut game and I’ll tell ya, their entire setup is light years ahead of our atmosphere. They have a hype man, constant music and things going on—it’s a whole production and just feels “bigger” than what we get at Rupp, regardless of the facelift

 

[wildcatcorner]

The outside is really nice. You can still only wash 1 hand at a time in the restrooms though.

 

[Sejonesy]

The outside is really nice. You can still only wash 1 hand at a time in the restrooms though.

Agree. The outside is nice and the seat backs in some of the uppers are nice. The convention center is what go the majority of the upgrades. Wish they would have spent some more money on the actual Rupp concourse and the restrooms!

 

[JonathanW]

So seating capacity went from like 24,000 to 20,500, is that right. I assume when it was 24,000 it was split something like 10K lower arena, 14K upper? Does that mean converting the upper to chair-back seats was a 25% reduction in upper arena seats (from 14K to 10.5K). 25% loss seems like a lot.

They need to create expensive luxury suites, and then move the students to the first 6 or so rows all the way around the court.

 

[TheDude73]

My family that goes often said it's pretty much lipstick on a pig. No real MAJOR updates, just some façade add-ons and interior updates. Still looks and feels like the old Rupp.

By the way, why did Yesterday's downstairs close, and what replaced it? I haven't been myself in several years living out here in CO (I plan on taking my wife to her first game next winter, though). The last game I attended was UL back in end of 2019. If I recall, Yesterday's was the only place in Lex Center where you could buy beer / booze pregame, and take one up with you before having to chug in front of the KSP guarding the entrances before going in.

 

[bthaunert]

I can't speak to the current renovations as I haven't been. It has come a long way from when it first opened

 

[WildcatsAndBourbon]

My family that goes often said it's pretty much lipstick on a pig. No real MAJOR updates, just some façade add-ons and interior updates. Still looks and feels like the old Rupp.

By the way, why did Yesterday's downstairs close, and what replaced it? I haven't been myself in several years living out here in CO (I plan on taking my wife to her first game next winter, though). The last game I attended was UL back in end of 2019. If I recall, Yesterday's was the only place in Lex Center where you could buy beer / booze pregame, and take one up with you before having to chug in front of the KSP guarding the entrances before going in.

The original Yesterdays had been struggling to hang on ever since the smoking ban. There really was no convenient way to go out and smoke when that ban was put into effect and at that time a lot of bar goers and pool players in particular liked to smoke. After that, that location had a long slow death. New, young drinkers didn’t even know it was there. Sucked…Yesterdays was classy. The crowds used to be good. The drinks were good. The tables were well maintained.

There’s still a Yesterdays, over behind Home Depot on Harrodsburg Rd. Good bar honestly; probably my favorite in Lexington. More of a dive bar than the original Yesterdays, but still plenty of decently kept tables. Eclectic crowd. Not a trendy place. Usually busy but the people are 21/22 year old misfits, blue collar workers, tired middle aged saps, street hustlers, retired men who still like to do coke from time to time. The biggest draw there is the karaoke.

 

[LordEggForgotHisPassword]

i just dont understand having the floor look like someone slapped some homemade central bank stickers on there as an afterthought. It Rupp Arena, GD it, do it right.

 

[Catfanlou]

They screwed up in the upper renovation of the four sections at the end on the sides. Two issues . First the architect messed up by constructing a steel bar obstructing the view of rows b C and d. it was not necessary. Madison Square Garden nor Yum have a similar situation. Cheap cheap construction.
Also the architect could not decide whether to make the first row an aisle or not . Left too much leg room but not enough for an aisle . That is critically important because when people on the first row stand they approach the rail. It’s human nature . Problem is when they do that no one behind them for a number of rows can see regardless of whether they also stand.
Dropped my season tickets of forty years because I found neither Rupp arena board, UK Ticket folks , Barnhart, the Lex Mayors office cared enough about to do anything about it.
if you get offered tickets in 212 rows B,c or d or other three similar sections don’t buy them .better off watching on TV which is what do now.

 

[rivercatinfl]

So seating capacity went from like 24,000 to 20,500, is that right. I assume when it was 24,000 it was split something like 10K lower arena, 14K upper? Does that mean converting the upper to chair-back seats was a 25% reduction in upper arena seats (from 14K to 10.5K). 25% loss seems like a lot.

They need to create expensive luxury suites, and then move the students to the first 6 or so rows all the way around the court.

Amen!!!!!

 

[KMKAT]

The outside is really nice. You can still only wash 1 hand at a time in the restrooms though.

This is quite funny; this is a common problem that didn't even improve during a nationwide shutdown.

 

[Runnin'Ramel]

It’s beautiful for sure but the game day environment is sad. My wife and I went to Thompson bowling for the uk/ut game and I’ll tell ya, their entire setup is light years ahead of our atmosphere. They have a hype man, constant music and things going on—it’s a whole production and just feels “bigger” than what we get at Rupp, regardless of the facelift

OH YEAH!? WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME TENNESSEE WENT TO THE FINAL FOUR SHEWWWWWWWWWW

Signed,
Typical Raftard

 

[CatPhight]

Concessions are still circa 1976 crap...

 

[KMKAT]

OH YEAH!? WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME TENNESSEE WENT TO THE FINAL FOUR SHEWWWWWWWWWW

Signed,
Typical Raftard

Careful, RR, our last appearance is starting to be in the distant past. Do today's students remember the Harrisons even playing here?

But UT will never, NEVER, have any semblance of a tradition in basketball.

 

[DreadLox]

Memorial Coliseum lasted 26 years before they said it was too old and too small. Rupp Arena is now 47 years old.

By way of background, Memorial was where games were played when I was in school, and I've never liked Rupp Arena. I took my Dad there once when it first opened, when it was fresh as a daisy, and I still hated it. It's just too big, too impersonal. The scale is off for college games: the players look like ants. But revenue rules, and Rupp Arena was part of the first wave of turning an already-too-big collegiate sport into a bloated corporate mess. For me the only renovation for Rupp Arena is to level it. Have UK lead the nation in dragging collegiate sports back to a more human scale.

 

[St.PatterSoN-54-]

Like whipped cream on a dog turd, lipstick on a pig

 

[ncaaky]

It’s beautiful for sure but the game day environment is sad. My wife and I went to Thompson bowling for the uk/ut game and I’ll tell ya, their entire setup is light years ahead of our atmosphere. They have a hype man, constant music and things going on—it’s a whole production and just feels “bigger” than what we get at Rupp, regardless of the facelift

That was the UK game, so of course it was electric. The Rupp atmosphere has been very very good this year. More lights and gadgets and louder and better music.

 

[JonathanW]

I forgot about those orange seats. Anyone know why-t-f they put UT-orange seats in UK-blue-Rupp?

 

[SituationBlue]

I've never been a fan of the design. Big and that's it - although the renovations from outside do look nice. I don't claim to be an architect but it's a product of building designs in the 70's. Too old to be state of the art, too young to be historic.

I have the same feeling about Kroger Field. 70's structure. Just bland character. It's a shame they didn't keep Stoll Field. Football games in the middle of campus would have been fun.

 

[Blueworld_3.0]

I would encourage everyone to search YouTube for some of the old games early on when Rupp Arena was relatively new. The place was rocking! Band was still in lower arena on the side, people actually stood up and screamed their heads off. It was a party. Looked nothing like the morgue the place has become for most games these days.
Also, you need to remember that UK has very little to do with Rupp Arena. It;s a city-owned facility. And while I am sure there is plenty of consideration given to the #1 tenant, Rupp was designed to be a multi-purpose facility...concerts, rodeo's, conventions, trade shows, tractor pulls, etc.
You want something with a better atmosphere, you're going to need to build an entirely new facility on campus for basketball only. About 17,500 seats with luxury boxes, state of the art tech, etc. Probably have a price tag of at least $400-$500 million to do it right.

 

[Rockfly78]

I miss the food court and the shops and stuff. My wife and kids used to like checking that out before the games

 

[Soupbean]

This is quite funny; this is a common problem that didn't even improve during a nationwide shutdown.

Just what are you boys doing with the other hand anyway? . . . I dont wanna know

 

[SemperFiCat]

Just what are you boys doing with the other hand anyway? . . . I dont wanna know

Me: (leans over) "Hey man, nice watch"

 

[jameslee32]

It’s beautiful for sure but the game day environment is sad. My wife and I went to Thompson bowling for the uk/ut game and I’ll tell ya, their entire setup is light years ahead of our atmosphere. They have a hype man, constant music and things going on—it’s a whole production and just feels “bigger” than what we get at Rupp, regardless of the facelift

If the Bengals will fork over the dollars for fireworks, activities, music and a cool light show, literally anything's possible.

 

[JonathanW]

I've never been a fan of the design. Big and that's it - although the renovations from outside do look nice. I don't claim to be an architect but it's a product of building designs in the 70's. Too old to be state of the art, too young to be historic.

I have the same feeling about Kroger Field. 70's structure. Just bland character. It's a shame they didn't keep Stoll Field. Football games in the middle of campus would have been fun.

At least it's next to campus. Have to leave campus for basketball games.

 

[HoopsDavid]

I miss the food court and the shops and stuff. My wife and kids used to like checking that out before the game
Are the shops and food court gone now?