View source for Rupp Arena

{{Short description|Indoor arena in Lexington, Kentucky, US}}
{{Infobox venue
| stadium_name       = Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center
| logo_image         = Rupp Arena logo.svg
| image              = Rupp Arena view from Triangle Park.jpg
| image_map           = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=250|zoom=15|type=point}}
| address            = 432 West Vine Street
| location           = [[Lexington, Kentucky]], U.S.
| coordinates        = {{Coord|38|02|58|N|84|30|10|W|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| broke_ground       = June 21, 1974<ref>{{cite news |title=Ground to Be Broken for Lexington CC|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rI9DAAAAIBAJ&pg=1783,5839806&dq=en|newspaper=Williamson Daily News|date=June 29, 1974}}</ref>
| opened             = November 27, 1976<ref>{{cite news |title=Crowds Roar Approval As Rupp Arena Opens|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7iJLAAAAIBAJ&pg=3092,6635116&dq=en|newspaper=The Press-Courier|date=November 28, 1976}}</ref>
| closed             =
| demolished         =
| owner              = Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government
| operator           = Lexington Center Corporation
| surface            = [[Cawood Ledford|Cawood's]] Court
| construction_cost  = $55 million<br />(${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|53000000|1976}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}})
| architect          = [[Ellerbe Becket]]<ref name="Ellerbe">[http://www.ellerbebecket.com/expertise/project/2_148/Lexington_Center_Rupp_Arena.html Lexington Center/Rupp Arena - Ellerbe Becket] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005200347/http://www.ellerbebecket.com/expertise/project/2_148/Lexington_Center_Rupp_Arena.html |date=2011-10-05 }}</ref>
| general_contractor = [[Hunt Construction Group|Huber, Hunt & Nichols]]<ref name="Ellerbe"/>
| former_names       =
| tenants            = [[Kentucky Wildcats]] ([[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]) (1976–present)<br />[[Kentucky Thoroughblades]] ([[American Hockey League|AHL]]) (1996–2001)<br />[[Lexington Men O' War]] ([[ECHL]]) (2002–2003)<br />[[Kentucky Horsemen|Lexington/Kentucky Horsemen]] ([[AF2|af2]]) (2008&ndash;2009)
| seating_capacity   = [[Basketball]]: 20,500<ref>{{cite web |title=Rupp Arena |date=20 May 2022 |url=https://ukathletics.com/facilities/rupp-arena/ |publisher=[[Kentucky Wildcats]] |access-date=June 22, 2024}}</ref><br>[[Ice hockey]]: 18,345<br>[[Concerts]]: 23,000
| website            = {{URL|rupparena.com}}
}}

'''Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center''' is an [[list of indoor arenas|arena]] located in downtown [[Lexington, Kentucky|Lexington]], [[Kentucky]], [[United States]]. Since its opening in 1976, it has been the centerpiece of [[Central Bank Center]] (formerly Lexington Center), a convention and shopping facility owned by an arm of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, which is located next to the Lexington Hyatt and [[Hilton Lexington/Downtown|Hilton]] hotels. Rupp Arena also serves as home court to the [[University of Kentucky]] men's basketball program, and is named after legendary former Kentucky coach [[Adolph Rupp]] with an official capacity of 20,500. In 2014 and 2015, in Rupp Arena, the [[Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball]] team was second in the nation in [[college basketball]] home attendance.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/13208237/syracuse-orange-again-lead-nation-men-basketball-attendance|title=NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Attendance Leaders Year-by-Year (1970-2011) |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=2011-12-24}}</ref> Rupp Arena also regularly hosts concerts, conventions and shows.

==History==
The arena's primary tenant is the [[Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball]] team, with the [[Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball]] team hosting rivalry and power program opponent games at the venue in recent years. Rupp Arena was the host of the [[1985 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|1985 NCAA Final Four]], won in an upset by eighth-seeded [[Villanova University|Villanova]].  It also formerly hosted the [[Kentucky Thoroughblades]] (currently the [[San Jose Barracuda]]) (capacity 10,011) and the [[Lexington Men O' War]] (capacity 7,500) minor-league [[ice hockey|hockey]] teams, and the [[Lexington Horsemen]] [[arena football]] team (capacity 7,550), numerous concerts (theater capacity 2,300; concert hall 10,000; arena capacity 20,500 approx.), conventions, and other events. It is named after University of Kentucky coaching legend [[Adolph Rupp]], and opened in 1976, a little more than a year before Rupp's death in late 1977. Since the 1985 Final Four, Rupp Arena has hosted a number of NCAA Tournament regional games, most recently in [[2013 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|2013]] when it hosted second and third round NCAA Tournament games. Rupp Arena is also home to Kentucky's high school boys' basketball Sweet Sixteen, a single-elimination tournament which determines the state champion with sixteen teams representing each of Kentucky's regional high school champions.

On January 27, 2020, it was announced that Lexington Center's overall [[naming rights]] were sold to Central Bank, a local community bank, by the Lexington Center Corporation and JMI Sports, which handles the multimedia rights for both the LCC and the University of Kentucky. The Rupp name will continue to receive primacy in the fourteen-year agreement for the arena portion of the complex, and be known as "Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nkytribune.com/2020/01/its-rupp-arena-at-central-bank-center-as-naming-rights-agreement-rebrands-lexingtons-premier-spot/|title=It's Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center as naming rights agreement rebrands Lexington's premier spot|date=27 January 2020|work=Northern Kentucky Tribune|access-date=30 January 2020}}</ref> Floor signage indicating the new naming arrangement was installed on Rupp Arena's basketball floor in time for the [[2020–21 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team|2020–21 season]].

==Kentucky Basketball at Rupp Arena==
{{More citations needed section|date=November 2022}}
===Fan support===
Enthusiastic fan participation has been central to the Kentucky Basketball experience for decades, both prior to and during the Rupp Arena years. Crowds at Rupp Arena are usually full and enthusiastic, particularly for rivalry games (e.g., Louisville, Tennessee, and formerly, Indiana) and against Blue Blood opponents (e.g., North Carolina, Kansas).

Kentucky fans are passionate in their support, but also have a long-standing tradition of giving standing ovations near the end of games to opponents who turn in exceptional performances. These opponents include [[David Robinson]], [[Billy Cunningham]], [[Austin Carr]], [[Pete Maravich]], Bubba Parnham, [[Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf|Chris Jackson]], [[Shaquille O'Neal]], [[Elston Turner Jr.]], [[Lawrence Roberts (basketball)|Lawrence Roberts]], and [[Freeman Williams]].

Fans take pride in never having rushed the court after a Kentucky victory, a nod to their generally lofty expectations of the program and perception that no Kentucky victory is ever truly an upset. Season tickets remain in high demand. Fans report that it can take more than 20 years to improve their seat location by just a few rows. Owing to the constant demand for tickets, seating at Rupp Arena for Kentucky games is notable for having very few students near the floor.

Kentucky fans additionally take pride in the fact that their standard for team banner-hanging is very high. They typically only hang banners for teams who reached the Final Four. They additionally take pride in not hanging banners for non-competitive championships, such as [[Helms Athletic Foundation|Helms Titles]].

Kentucky fans often identify the following contests as being among the loudest in Rupp Arena history:

*1979 vs. Kansas ([[Dwight Anderson (basketball)|Dwight Anderson]] and [[Kyle Macy]] spark a miraculous late comeback)
*1981 vs. LSU (Before the game LSU center Greg Cook quipped "Kentucky ain't nothin' but a name." Legendary play by play announcer [[Cawood Ledford]] opened his broadcast saying, "Them's fighting' words." Kentucky beat #2 LSU on Senior Day, featuring [[Sam Bowie]]'s half-court alley-oop dunk and game saving block; LSU's first SEC loss of the season. NBC commentator [[Al McGuire|Al Maguire]] said the crowd was "so loud, it's scary.")
*1983 vs. Louisville (Regular attendees at Rupp Arena say this and the 1981 LSU contest were the two most frenzied game-time atmospheres in the history of the Rupp Arena; two top-10 teams battled it out, with Kentucky prevailing, avenging their "Dream Game" loss to Louisville the year before).
*1984 vs. Houston (Kentucky beats eventual National Runner-Up Houston and [[Hakeem Olajuwon]])
*1990 vs. LSU (Overmatched, on probation, and scholarship-decimated Kentucky beats an LSU team featuring [[Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf|Chris Jackson]], [[Shaquille O'Neal]], and [[Stanley Roberts]])
*1990 vs. Kansas (Kentucky exacts revenge for a humiliating loss to Kansas the year before; a 20–0 run inside 10 minutes electrified the crowd; ESPN's [[Larry Conley]] remarked "Now I know what those people felt like when they went up against the lions at the [[Roman Coliseum]].")
*1992 vs. Tennessee (Senior Day for Kentucky's famed "The Unforgettables" and [[Cawood Ledford|Cawood Ledford's]] final home game; a 3-point barrage by Kentucky and a scuffle between [[Sean Woods]] and a Tennessee player energized the fans)
*1998 vs. Maryland (Kentucky rattles hotshot [[Steve Francis]] after he and Kentucky's [[Jamaal Magloire]] traded barbs in the newspapers in the weeks leading up to the game)
*2001 vs. North Carolina ([[Tayshaun Prince]] hits five 3-pointers in a row; his fifth basket from near the logo at center court marked what is likely the loudest single moment in Rupp Arena history; [[Bill Raftery]] of CBS exclaimed "Tayshaun is not a prince, he's a king.")
*2001 vs. Louisville (A frenzied crowd lays in to [[Rick Pitino]] on his return to Rupp as coach of the Cardinals)
*2003 vs. Florida (Kentucky blows out #1 Florida; ESPN's [[Dick Vitale]] remarked "What a way to be number #1, to come to Rupp Arena.")
*2011 vs. North Carolina ([[Anthony Davis]] blocks [[John Henson (basketball)|John Henson]]'s would-be game winner)

===Traditions===
In addition to impassioned support, other Rupp Arena Kentucky Basketball traditions include

*Fans congregating in the lobby area of the adjacent Hyatt Regency Hotel and other downtown restaurants, a basketball variation on football tailgating.
*Cheering extra loudly for Kentucky players who are from Kentucky.
*The famous "C-A-T-S, Cats, Cats, Cats" and "Go Big Blue" cheers.
*The "Y": After the Kentucky Cheerleaders spell out the "K-E-N-T-U-C-K" of "Kentucky", a mystery celebrity will come onto the court making the "Y" shape by holding both arms in the air, with enthusiastic applause. Previous "Y" guests have included former Kentucky players, and celebrities, such as [[LeBron James]]
*Waking up early and filling Rupp Arena for Big Blue Madness and College Gameday experiences.

===Cheerleading squad===
The [[University of Kentucky cheerleading squad|Kentucky Cheerleading]] squad is the most successful in the history of competitive collegiate cheerleading, having won 23 titles and 25 co-ed titles as of 2022. Kentucky has won more UCA Division-1 cheerleading titles than all other universities combined. Their most iconic stunt is the "[[Also sprach Zarathustra|2001: A Space Odyssey Theme]]", a rotating pyramid performed in conjunction with the pep band, performed for decades.

===Pep Band===
The University of Kentucky Pep Band is one of the largest in the nation and is an essential part of the Kentucky basketball gameday experience. The band traditionally plays the opening bars of "The Lone Ranger Theme" leading into "[[On, On, U of K]]" (Kentucky's official fight song) just prior to tipoff, and a single trumpet player sounding the ''[[Call to the Post]]''  seconds before the jump ball. Kentucky's secondary fight song, "Kentucky Fight", is typically played in the pre-game, during the second half, or, on occasion, when the team is struggling. Other favorites through the years have been covers of "[[Hold On, I'm Comin' (song)|Hold On, I'm Coming]]", "[[Thriller (song)|Thriller]]", "[[Back in the U.S.S.R.|Back in the "U.S.S.R.]]", "Leapfrog", "[[Hey! Baby|Hey Baby]]", "[[Blue Moon of Kentucky]]", and "[[Rock and Roll (Gary Glitter song)|Rock n Roll, Part 2]]". At game's end, the band always plays Stephen Foster's "[[My Old Kentucky Home]]", the Kentucky state song.

==Seating arrangement==
The arena has an official capacity for basketball of 20,545 following a 2019 renovation project that was part of a larger renovation and expansion of Lexington Center. The most significant change to the arena was the installation of chairback seats in about half of the upper seating bowl.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kentuckysportsradio.com/basketball-2/rupp-arena-unveils-new-upper-level-chair-back-seats/ |title=Rupp Arena Unveils New Upper-Level Chair Back Seats |first=Jack |last=Pilgrim |work=Kentucky Sports Radio |date=October 8, 2019 |access-date=October 9, 2019}}</ref>

Before the 2019 renovation, the official capacity was 23,500, but because of the former all-bleacher configuration of the upper seating bowl, it was able to pack in more than 24,000 for many UK basketball games. The lower bowl also incorporates a student standing-room area called the "eRUPPtion Zone" behind one goal. Unlike many arenas built in the following years, it has no luxury suites, and has never been renovated to add them. However, in 2001, the arena received some minor renovations including four oversized video boards, new lower bowl seating, new locker rooms, and a new court.

==Milestones==
*The first act to perform at Rupp Arena was Lawrence Welk on October 17, 1976. The performance attracted 20,000 people to the newly opened facility.<ref>{{cite web|title=History|url=https://www.rupparena.com/arena-information/about-us/history|website=Rupp Arena|access-date=9 December 2016}}</ref>
*Rupp Arena was set to host [[Elvis Presley]] live in concert on August 23, 1977. However, Presley died on August 16, exactly one week before the concert was scheduled.<ref>{{cite web|title=Elvis ticket for concert that never was, 1977|url=https://kyphotoarchive.com/2018/08/23/elvis-ticket-for-concert-that-never-was-1977/|website=Kentucky Photo Archive|access-date=23 October 2021}}</ref>
*The ceremonial first basket in the new facility was sunk by Adolph's young grandson Chip (Adolph III), who went on to play college basketball at [[Southeastern Conference]] (SEC) rival [[Vanderbilt University|Vanderbilt]].
*Rupp Arena is the home court of the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, which boasts an overall record in Rupp Arena of 529-64 (.892) since beginning play there on November 27, 1976. The court itself is named Cawood's Court after longtime University of Kentucky football and men's basketball radio broadcaster [[Cawood Ledford]].
*Rupp staged three [[Southeastern Conference]] men's basketball tournaments between 1982 and 1993; it was also the host of the [[Ohio Valley Conference]] men's basketball tournament in 1992 and 1993.
*It hosted [[WWE Backlash]] in [[Backlash (2006)|2006]].
*The Rupp Arena attendance record was set on January 2, 2010, when 24,480 people watched #3 Kentucky play rival Louisville. The final score was a 71–62 victory by the Kentucky Wildcats. 
[[File:rupparenaK.JPG|275px|thumb|right|[[University of Kentucky]] cheerleaders at Rupp Arena during a basketball game]]
*The UK men are the only basketball program in the SEC that plays home games in an off-campus facility. All of the other programs play on campus, including the UK women, who play in the men's former home of [[Memorial Coliseum (Lexington)|Memorial Coliseum]]. However, when the women's program expects an unusually large crowd, it will shift an occasional game to Rupp.
*Rupp is also home to the annual [[Sweet Sixteen (KHSAA State Basketball Championship)|KHSAA State Basketball Championship]], known and trademarked as the Sweet Sixteen, with 16 boys' basketball teams from throughout the commonwealth appearing for a shot at the state title. The KHSAA girls' Sweet Sixteen will join the boys' event at Rupp in 2019.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://khsaa.org/051017-board-of-control-addresses-championship-sites-for-football-girls-basketball-dance/ |title=Board of Control Addresses Championship Sites for Football, Girls' Basketball, Dance |publisher=Kentucky High School Athletic Association |date=May 10, 2017 |access-date=May 10, 2017}}</ref>
*The University of Kentucky has led the nation 25 times in NCAA men's basketball home attendance (an NCAA record) since the 1976–77 season (the previous 39 seasons at Rupp Arena), including 17 out of the last 20 seasons, and eight of the last 10 seasons.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/Reports/attendanceYBYtop25.pdf|title=NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Attendance Leaders Year-by-Year (1970-2011)|publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association}}</ref> 
*On December 21, 2009, in Rupp Arena, the Kentucky men's basketball team became the first college basketball program to win 2,000 games, in an 88–44 win against the [[Drexel Dragons|Drexel University Dragons]]. 
*On November 8, 2010, ESPN ranked Rupp Arena as the third-loudest venue in college basketball.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kentuckysportsradio.com/1/rupp-arena-named-the-third-loudest-in-america/|title=Rupp Arena Named The Third Loudest in America - Kentucky Sports Radio|website=kentuckysportsradio.com}}</ref>
*Rupp Arena hosted the August 2, 2011, tapings of [[WWE SmackDown|SmackDown]] and [[WWE Superstars]], with the former set to air on August 5, 2011, and the latter having aired on August 4, 2011.
*The arena hosted several TV tapings for various WWF shows in the 1980s and 1990s.
*The 500th win in Rupp Arena came on November 27, 2013, against [[Eastern Michigan Eagles|Eastern Michigan]], with Kentucky winning 81–63.
*Before the 2019 renovation, it was Kentucky's largest arena, and has hosted concerts by many performers, including [[Paul McCartney]], [[Genesis (band)|Genesis]], [[Elton John]], [[The Rolling Stones]], [[The Grateful Dead]], [[Rush (band)|Rush]], [[George Strait]], [[Billy Joel]], [[Guns N' Roses]], [[Tim McGraw]], [[Phish]], [[Garth Brooks]], [[CKY (band)|CKY]], [[Bob Seger]], [[Trans-Siberian Orchestra]], and in recent years, [[Pearl Jam]], [[Taylor Swift]], [[Drake (rapper)|Drake]], [[Brad Paisley]], [[Morgan Wallen]],[[Miranda Lambert]], and [[Fall Out Boy]].
*On January 28, 2017, with #4 Kentucky hosting #2 Kansas at Rupp Arena,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400910697|title=Kansas vs. Kentucky - Game Recap - January 28, 2017 - ESPN|website=ESPN.com}}</ref> the ''Guinness Book of World Records'' measured the loudest indoor crowd roar at 126.4&nbsp;dB.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.seccountry.com/kentucky/rupp-arena-kentucky-world-record-crowd-noise|title=Kentucky's Rupp Arena breaks Guinness World Record for indoor crowd noise|date=28 January 2017|website=seccountry.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aseaofblue.com/2017/1/28/14426984/kentucky-fans-set-record-for-loudest-indoor-crowd-roar|title=Kentucky Fans Set Indoor Noise Record|website=aseaofblue.com|date=28 January 2017 }}</ref> It lasted 17 days before Guinness recorded a roar of 130.4&nbsp;dB at [[Allen Fieldhouse]] when West Virginia played at Kansas.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400916243|title=West Virginia vs. Kansas - Game Recap - February 13, 2017 - ESPN|website=ESPN.com}}</ref>
* The majority of the home games during the 2023-2024 Kentucky women's basketball season, as well as all home gymnastics and volleyball matches in 2023–2024, were moved to Rupp Arena. This was due to ongoing renovations to Memorial Coliseum.<ref>[https://ukathletics.com/news/2023/04/18/rupp-arena-to-serve-as-primary-home-venue-for-uk-indoor-sports-in-2023-24/ Rupp Arena to Serve as Primary Home Venue for UK Indoor Sports in 2023-24]</ref>

==2015 renovations==
[[File:Arena Renovations.jpg|thumb|Outside the arena during 2020 renovations]]
[[File:Rupp Arena - UCLA v. UK on 12-03-16.jpg|thumb|New scoreboard becomes the centerpiece of Rupp Arena]]
Rupp Arena was approved for various renovations in 2015 to improve the fan experience and to attract more concerts and major events. The approved renovations totaled at $15.8 million that included a new center-hung scoreboard, advertising ribbon boards, wireless internet for fans, and improved roof infrastructure.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Marcum|first1=Jason|title=Rupp Arena Upgrades Approved; New scoreboard and wireless Internet coming|url=http://www.aseaofblue.com/2015/11/6/9681696/rupp-arena-upgrades-approved-new-scoreboard-and-wireless-internet|website=A Sea of Blue|date=6 November 2015 |publisher=SB Nation|access-date=9 December 2016}}</ref>

The entire list of renovations as stated on UK Athletics' website<ref>{{cite web|title=Rupp Arena|url=http://www.ukathletics.com/page/facilities-rupp-arena|website=UK Athletics|date=30 July 2015 |access-date=9 December 2016}}</ref> include:
* State-of-the-art Daktronics center-hung video board
* 15mm ribbon boards
* Replaced 16mm LED corner video boards with 6mm LED video boards to produce HD quality image
* L-Acoustics K2 line array sound system
* Total sanding and repainting of the floor to reflect UK's updated branding and logo
* New basketball goals and new shot clocks
* Added press box seating to the east side of the arena
* Replaced LED scorer's table with 6mm version and moved the old 10mm scorer's table to the opposite side of the floor for radio broadcast seating
* Replaced static ad panels in lower four corners of the arena with LED ad panels

==NCAA Tournament games==
[[File:Rupp Arena center court circle.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The old center court welcomes fans in the main lobby of Rupp Arena]]

* 2025 First and Second Rounds
* 2013 Second and Third Rounds
* 2007 First and Second Rounds
* 2002 South Regional Semi-finals and Final
* 1998 First and Second Rounds
*1996 Southeast Regional Semi-finals and Final 
* 1994 First and Second Rounds
* 1992 Southeast Regional Semi-finals and Final 
* 1989 Southeast Regional Semi-finals and Final 
* 1985 NCAA [[Final Four]]
* 1984 Mideast Regional Semi-finals and Final 
* 1980 Mideast Regional Semi-finals and Final 
* 1977 Mideast Regional Semi-finals and Final

==Attendance record progression==
The Kentucky Wildcats have set or broken the Rupp Arena attendance record 24 times since the arena opened in 1976. In those games, the Wildcats have won 20 times and lost 4 times.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bigbluehistory.net/bb/Statistics/arenarupparena.html |title=Kentucky's Rupp Arena Record |publisher=Big Blue History |access-date=2008-12-14 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202020647/http://www.bigbluehistory.net/bb/Statistics/arenarupparena.html |archive-date=2008-12-02 }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
!style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Kentucky Wildcats|color=white}};"|Attendance
!style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Kentucky Wildcats|color=white}};"|Date
!style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Kentucky Wildcats|color=white}};"|Kentucky opponent
!style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Kentucky Wildcats|color=white}};"|Result
|-align=center
|'''23,266''' || &nbsp;November 27, 1976&nbsp; || [[Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball|Wisconsin]] || {{yes2}} Won 72–64
|-align=center
|'''23,271''' || January 12, 1977 || [[Tennessee Volunteers basketball|Tennessee]] || {{no2}} Lost 71–67 {{small|(OT)}}
|-align=center
|'''23,392''' || February 14, 1977 || [[Florida Gators men's basketball|Florida]] || {{yes2}} Won 104–78
|-align=center
|'''23,412''' || February 26, 1977 || [[Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball|Alabama]] || {{yes2}} Won 85–70
|-align=center
|'''23,472''' || November 26, 1977 || [[SMU Mustangs|SMU]] || {{yes2}} Won 110–86
|-align=center
|'''23,521''' || December 5, 1977 || [[Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball|Indiana]] || {{yes2}} Won 78–64
|-align=center
|'''23,608''' || March 4, 1978 || [[UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball|UNLV]] || {{yes2}} Won 92–70
|-align=center
|'''23,798''' || December 15, 1979 || Indiana || {{yes2}} Won 69–58
|-align=center
|'''23,809''' || December 3, 1980 || [[Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball|Ohio State]] || {{yes2}} Won 70–64
|-align=center
|'''23,875''' || December 13, 1980 || [[Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball|Kansas]] || {{yes2}} Won 87–73
|-align=center
|'''24,011''' || March 1, 1981 || [[LSU Tigers basketball|LSU]] || {{yes2}} Won 73–71
|-align=center
|'''24,165''' || December 8, 1981 || Indiana || {{yes2}} Won 85–69
|-align=center
|'''24,185''' || February 27, 1983 || [[Tennessee Volunteers basketball|Tennessee]] || {{yes2}} Won 69–61
|-align=center
|'''24,203''' || December 7, 1985 || Indiana || {{yes2}} Won 63–58
|-align=center
|'''24,288''' || January 14, 1989 || LSU || {{no2}} Lost 64–62
|-align=center
|'''24,301''' || February 15, 1990 || LSU || {{yes2}} Won 100–95
|-align=center
|'''24,310''' || March 2, 1991 || [[Auburn Tigers men's basketball|Auburn]] || {{yes2}} Won 114–93
|-align=center
|'''24,324''' || January 25, 1992 || [[Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball|Arkansas]] || {{no2}} Lost 105–88
|-align=center 
|'''24,332''' || March 7, 1992 || Tennessee || {{yes2}} Won 99–88
|-align=center
|'''24,340''' || December 23, 1995 || [[Louisville Cardinals men's basketball|Louisville]] || {{yes2}} Won 89–66
|-align=center
|'''24,459''' || February 4, 2003 || Florida || {{yes2}} Won 70–55
|-align=center
|'''24,465''' || February 10, 2007 || Florida || {{no2}} Lost 64–61
|-align=center
|'''24,474''' || December 5, 2009 || [[North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball|North Carolina]] || {{yes2}} Won 68–66
|-align=center
|'''24,480'''  || January 2, 2010 || Louisville|| {{yes2}} Won 71–62
|}

==See also==
* [[List of NCAA Division I basketball arenas]]
* [[List of indoor arenas by capacity]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.rupparena.com}}
* [http://ruppdistrict.com/ Rupp Arena, Arts & Entertainment District]

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{{Music venues of Kentucky}}
{{Fayette County/Lexington, Kentucky}}
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[[Category:1976 establishments in Kentucky]]
[[Category:Convention centers in Kentucky]]
[[Category:Ice hockey venues in Kentucky]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Lexington, Kentucky]]
[[Category:Kentucky Thoroughblades]]
[[Category:Kentucky Wildcats basketball venues]]
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 1976]]
[[Category:Indoor arenas in Kentucky]]
[[Category:College basketball venues in Kentucky]]