Rupp Arena

Finally made it to the famed Rupp Arena with my brother-​in-​law. We had an amazing time at the game and all of the staff was polite and helpful. We arrived pretty early, so the usher let us go down to the first row and check it out.
Soft serve ice cream is apparently a thing here, and we tried it. It was pretty much like any other soft serve ice cream I’ve ever had, so sugar, milk and happiness.

I’ve been to good olé’ Rupp many times throughout the years, but never for basketball so I can’t comment on the games. Only concerts. As a matter of fact, my first concert ever was in the early 90s here. The Judds farewell and Garth Brooks opened.
I never have to wait very long for my beverages, there’s always restrooms available and I always have a blast. That’s what gets my vote.
I do like taunting other people in the pit during the concerts with my «L» sign though. I get the most outrageous looks. Go Cards!

Went to see the Eagles at Rupp arena, it was HORRIBLE! not the Eagles but the arena. We came in from out of town to attend the concert and when I ordered the tickets (by the way thanks ticket master) it listed them as seats not benches which is what they were, very disappointing. It seems that the upper tier are all bench seating. my wife and I figured well it is what it is so we took our seats. It was very warm to the point where my shirt was drenched with sweat. By the time everyone took their seats and the concert started we were packed in like sardines in a can. The concert started at 8pm and after one hour my wife and I left, we couldn’t take it anymore. We couldn’t enjoy the show, what a waste of money and time. So if you do have to attend a show or basket ball game at Rupp make sure you get seating in the lower arena where the regular seats are (seats with backs) the benches are hard, hot and unless you weigh 70 lbs and are skinny as a rail you will be rubbing up against everyone around you, very disappointing, not a proper venue to watch a concert.

It’s all we’ve got, big venue wise. Antiquated interior. Needs serious updating. Only the Eagles could have gotten me to go, and they were spectacular enough to encourage me to go.

We came in from out of town to see the Eagles concert and ended up leaving early.
We had seats (real seats, not benches) in the lower arena, section 30, row K, and it was so very hot in that place that we were soaked within 10 minutes. We tried to buy some bottled water after the first half of the show, but they’d sold out, so we ended up paying $ 4 for a paper cup of ice that was then filled with tap water. We were so hot and parched, we would have paid $ 10. I had never been to Rupp Arena before, and will be fine if I never go back.
The Eagles were also disappointing. We thought they would rock the house, but they all stood in one spot on the stage like they were glued there (except for don Henley who spent a lot of time and effort moving between the drums and the mikes in front). They sounded like the Eagles, granted an older version of the Eagles, and they even managed to hit most of the high notes. But… there was no passion, no energy. It was like they were there to simply perform a gig and move on to the next town. Plus — they were super uptight about cameras to the point of announcing multiple times that cell phones be turned off and not used for pictures. Really? We don’t even turn off cell phones on a freaking airplane anymore.
We just saw U2 in Boston and it was a high energy, rock-​the-​house Event. They even moved around on stage! And… they didn’t mind if people used their phones to take pictures (gasp!).
We paid more to see the Eagles than U2 and I guess we just expected to get more from the Eagles than they were capable or willing to give.

GO CATS! Home of the best team in college basketball. Rupp does a great job at keeping the place clean, especially the bathrooms which is great because nothing is worse than getting stuck with nasty public restrooms, amiright?

We came here for Disney on Ice. The show was great. The staff is wonderful, the ushers that is! I hate coming here for a concert, it is one of the worst venues! Here is why… they have the oldest, no offense, workers in the concessions and they are sooo very slow serving food and drinks and taking payment! I swear it’s take about 30 minutes to get through the line and it’s dreadful if you have to go back. We rather go to Cincinnati for a concert and actually get to watch the concert instead of standing in a line to than deal with mean concession employees!

Despite an affinity for the Kentucky Wildcats spanning back to my grade school years, I had never step foot in Lexington, let alone Rupp Arena. Having been stationed in Chicago for school for the better part of two years, my wife surprised me with a birthday trip to Kentucky to partake in all things Big Blue.
Rupp Arena itself isn’t that great. It’s kind of historical thanks to the team, but without building charm, similar to the United Center in Chicago. But Big Blue Nation lived up to the hype, and then some.
The fans here are silly passionate about their basketball team, and it shows. The arena is packed to the gills with fans in blue and white, a stark contrast from my time in Austin where fair-​weather fans sparsely decorate the massive Erwin Center stands. (To be fair, Longhorns football gets 100K+ following on gameday Saturdays). There’s a buzz about the fans, everyone attuned the game and giving the refs what for, even over seemingly innocuous calls. My section seemed to think every other handle by the Gator opposition was a travel. Very enjoyable camaraderie all around. The noise crescendoed in the second half as the Wildcats pulled away, en route to a 31 – 0 regular season.
Go Big Blue. That is all.

Always a great place to watch a game!

(This review is for the stadium as a basketball arena.) If you are a UK fan, you will be in heaven here. The atmosphere is AMAZING. I was a little weary of bleacher seats (the top sections) at first, but it turned out to add to the atmosphere by making all 24,000 of your fellow big blue basketball friends really feel like family. The staff is super helpful and very kind. I would recommend this place to anyone who loves Wildcat basketball!

We have been twice for concerts, not made a game yet. It may be ok for smaller concerts that might not sell out but not the place for big concerts. Parking and getting in was difficult to say the least. Seating is not horrible unless you are in the upper arena. Bleacher seating is not something I expected, it actually seemed nice until plus-​sized people showed up. The seating is tight to say the least for average size people. Add one or two large people in a row and it gets very… interesting. That is all for the arena itself, as for the area surrounding the arena it is lacking in food options. We ended up eating Arby’s as the few options around the arena were packed. Food court is pathetic. Pay a nice price for a ticket and try to have a nice dinner and a show, end up with little to no options for dinner.

This is what I call Basketball Heaven. If you want to enjoy a college basketball game with 24,000 of your friends… this is the place to come.
Parking can be a bother, but it’s worth every step.
Cats are fun to watch and you should add to your sports bucket list.
Concerts aren’t bad here either!

This has to be one of the ugliest building and most oddly shaped buildings in the world. The team might be great and it might sell out but im not reviewing that. If your not a kentucky fan stay away from this place and visit some oif the not to far buildings they have in like louisville. I know these two areas are rivals but when it comes to just building specs I would rather go to nassau coliseum in NY then this hole. Not to mention the staff there are nice but can you move any slower. If you are not on line 10 minutes before a break you will miss half of the next half before they get to you. I hope I never have to set foot in the building ever again

Why 3 stars? Because it definitely needs a face lift.
— — —
It’s the largest arena in the NCAA.
All they have to do is turn the lights on, and it sells out.
It’s probably in the top 5 of the most famous basketball venues in the country.
So… why is it so dumpy?
I wouldn’t say my experience was a bad one, but it reminded me of just a much larger version of my college’s basketball arena. And that building is a total dive. I mean, Sam Houston State isn’t exactly the face of college basketball. But doesn’t Kentucky have a pretty decent chunk of change to spend on an arena face lift?
I did find it oddly charming that the lines for soft serve ice cream were about 100 people deep. I had to see what all the fuss was about, but it turned out to just be pretty standard ice cream. Still… I can’t help but wish I was going to a game tonight so I could have another one.
Anyway… Rupp could use some big time upgrades. The unfinished concrete look everywhere could be touched up. They definitely need to upgrade their video boards. Real seats would be delightful. The list goes on and on.
I’ll say this. The experience here was really cool. UK was playing the basketball powerhouse known as Texas-​Arlington. There was a zero percent chance that the outcome was going to be anything but a blowout win for the Wildcats. But the fans filled every seat, and were into the game like it was for the SEC Championship. They lived and died, oo’ed and ahh’ed with every play.
Pretty much the opposite of a Tampa Bay sporting event.

So much fun! You haven’t lived if you haven’t gone to see a UK game! That was seriously the most exciting basketball game I’ve ever been to! And this was just the first game of the season… nothing out of the ordinary!!! But they still did fireworks, had cheerleaders, the wildcat mascot, the UK dance team, and the band. There was so much excitement! And people really get into it with face painting and of course being color coordinated. and I really like that they serve beef jerky at the game. haha.
I definitely agree with Megan C. though… the seats seem small and too cozy, there should be more space.

Nothing like going to Rupp arena for a crazy concert or even better a UK WILDCATS BASKETBALL GAME! Go CATS!!!

Rupp is a historic venue and a tribute to the wildcats. Though our upper tier bleacher seats were not the most comfortable, the view of the court was good. The wasp’s nest of speakers in the is a bit intimidating — but unique!
What I really want to reivew are the vendors. They have large sections devoted to the usual dogs, pizza and pretzels, but if you wander the perimeter, you will find a great cajun vendor. Their crawfish etoufee was delicious. The bread pudding had a nice bourbon cream sauce, but the portion was huge — enough to share to 1 or 2 others. There is a nice little BBQ brisket place that makes homemade nachos that were very good. And also an Italian ice vendor — i think they have 2 locations. They have some fun ice and ice cream flavors that you can do in a combo. We tried the green apple ice with the salt caramel ice cream — yummy.
My thumbs up to the Rupp vendors. Really nice if you don’t have time to eat before your event.

This is a religious sanctuary for those who bleed, live and die by Kentucky Basketball. Many sports analysts also say it should be on people’s bucket lists to watch 1 game in this building and that, I personally have accomplished over a dozen times!
There’s a reason this arena competes with Syracuse with attendance to games; the freakin building holds and usually occupies all 24,300 seats even if the men’s college basketball team is playing a crappy 2 – 15 team! The decibel level can reach the low hundreds in here. I took for granted the size of this building and assumed every basketball arena was this big until I went to a Boston Celtics game and then a UNLV game and was like WTF, where’s the blue and white and the extra 6000 other seats?
I’ll admit that a casual nonfan of UK basketball will feel uncomfortable coming here for their first time, especially when rooting for an opposing team. Now granted there’s a share of ignorant fans that frequent games to make opposing fans feel unwelcomed to never come back to this building, but all fanbases have these type of people. For the most part, the fans in this building are merely passionate about their team and are friendly and hospitable for the most part, especially the ushers.
This place is definitely meant for a remodel and it would be awesome if they served beer and alcohol but you can’t have everything I guess.

Fine just the way it is. I really don’t understand why they’re going to spend millions to change it.

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!
Devoted fan base. Check. Crazy fan base. Check. Roaring in your ears so loud and an electrifying crowd. Check. Oh wait, this is just for college basketball. What?
Yes, I remember watching the Cats when I was just a young kid lucky enough to score nosebleed seats and watch some of the most amazing basketball games ever (Unforgettables, high school state championship, etc). Hands down, I thought I was going to fall to my death since we were sitting so high, but I didn’t care because I was able to watch this all and experience the excitement live.
Fast forward to my college years where I was able to witness more of this craziness, firsthand, and enjoy some cussing, chanting, craziness, and everything/​anything associated with being a UK fan. Yes, I donned the crazy outfits, face painting, stickers, and eye-​catching signs. I also waited around during the ticket lotteries on those Monday nights.
Finally, when I worked in the Athletics Dept., I was able to get my own tickets as an employee. Although they weren’t in the lower arena seating area (as it was during my undergrad years), I was still able to be a part of the action and experience the euphoria associated with being a crazy UK fan.
I definitely miss going to this place on a regular basis, but then again it makes my trips back to KY well worth it. Now, not only do I remember the fun times that I’ve had in this venue, but the sheer volume of these crazy fans. I truly believe that the fan base is ultimately what makes this place so special and enjoyable. Yes, the players/​talent that they exhibit plays a great part, but so do the fans. I also believe that the fans have had quite an impact on the longevity of such a place.
One thing to be careful about is parking at Rupp or in the area. You definitely don’t want to get towed or stuck in gridlock right before or right after a game.
The only gripe that I have is that there are no private boxes. Yes, this seems like something minute, but I still think that this is important – although not important enough to deduct a star from my rating.
Hands down a must see if you’re in the area and can handle it.