Kentucky Wildcats: Rupp Arena, Home Sweet Home

Since 1976, the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team has played in Rupp Arena, named after legendary coach Adolph Rupp. Rupp Arena seats 23,500 which has allowed the Wildcats to either lead the NCAA in basketball attendance or be second to Syracuse (who plays at a football stadium), since it opened. Rupp has hosted SEC Tournaments, NCAA Tournament games and the 1985 Final Four. It annually hosts the KHSAA boys Sweet Sixteen tournament. Over 40 years, Rupp Arena has had more than its share of great basketball memories.

As far as historic basketball venues go, Rupp Arena isn’t as old as Phog Allen Fieldhouse or as notorious/infamous as Cameron Indoor Stadium. It’s not the Palestra in Philadelphia, which is often called the Cathedral of College Basketball. From the outside, Rupp isn’t much to look at. And the inside isn’t all that spectacular, with the red ducts on the ceiling and the famous Big Bertha speakers system. It doesn’t have the quirks of Vanderbilt’s Memorial Gymnasium. What truly makes Rupp Arena special has been the teams that have called it home and the fans that have cheered them on.

Since 1976, the Kentucky Wildcats are 540-64 at Rupp Arena, one of the best homecourt advantages in all of college basketball. Yet, even within the Big Blue Nation, most people don’t find the crowd all that intimidating. During most home games, the running theme on social media is how quiet the crowd is. It’s so quiet at times that John Calipari’s shouts are heard clearly on the TV.  The blame, in some folks’ eyes, lays with the older people that make up the majority of the lower level. They don’t seem to cheer and aren’t nearly as loud as the fans in the upper level of Rupp Arena.

Here’s the thing: Rupp Arena can get loud. There were points during the Vanderbilt game where the crowd, even the “bluehairs,” were into the action. At it’s absolute best, 23,00+ people can be extremely loud and extremely intimidating to a visiting crowd. The Big Blue Nation is one of the most knowledgeable fan bases in the country. And I think that when the crowd picks and chooses when to get loud, it can have more of and effect on a visiting team. Instead of just a start to finish wall of sound, the crowd at Rupp Arena knows when to pick the Cats up, applaud the Cats’ effort and know when to get loud when the Cats are getting ready to put the nail in the opponents’ coffin.

Some people may want the experience at Rupp to be like other places. And while I do agree that it would be nice for the crowd to be a little bit louder, I think the crowd at Rupp gets a bad rap. They’re not as loud loud as some places and the students don’t get to act like ridiculous buffoons or crazies, but their knowledge of the game cannot be overstated. For example, on February 4, 2003, the newly #1 ranked Florida Gators arrived in Lexington to take on the Cats. For 40 minutes of gametime, the crowd was excited and loud and the Cats won 70-55.

For all the knocks on the crowd at Rupp Arena, it can come through when the Cats need them the most. It’s home sweet home whenever the Kentucky Wildcats take the floor at 430 W. Vine Street.