YUM is a great building, State of the Art...but the financial projections to pay for it just are not materializing and probably won't unless they get an NBA team to share YUM.

 

Not to digress... but I'm not buying that either. An NBA team might help the Yum Center specifically, but crawling into bed with NBA owners has typically not been positive for a city's ledger. There are -- and would be -- other costs to dealing with those people.

Not to digress... but I'm not buying that either. An NBA team might help the Yum Center specifically, but crawling into bed with NBA owners has typically not been positive for a city's ledger. There are -- and would be -- other costs to dealing with those people.

I agree, but they are never going to pay it off with just the Cards and a few concerts.

It's a renovation, not new construction. As said earlier, NBBJ did the Pauley Pavilion redesign in LA a few years ago. On a larger scale, the same company did the grand redesign of the Bund in Shanghai, which is the city's waterfront commercial and political district. It's pretty impressive stuff.

 

I'm still not sure how they can do this and not cost UK a season at home. While I'm guessing the SEC schedule could be fixed where UK would play their last couple of games on the road and maybe the Sweet Sixteen could go to Louisville for a year, at best renovation would start around mid-March. The arena would have to be finished no later than the first of December. That gives about eight months which would seem to be pushing it.

 

When UCLA was renovated during the 2011-12 season they played 14 games at the Sports Arena (former home of the Clippers and USC), four home games in Anaheim (home of the hockey Ducks), and an exhibition game in Orange County. I suspect Kentucky will have to do the same, at least for the non-conference schedule. I could see several games in Freedom Hall, maybe one or two in Cincinnati, maybe a couple weaklings in Memorial Coliseum and then start SEC play in the finished arena around the first of January.

I'm still not sure how they can do this and not cost UK a season at home. While I'm guessing the SEC schedule could be fixed where UK would play their last couple of games on the road and maybe the Sweet Sixteen could go to Louisville for a year, at best renovation would start around mid-March. The arena would have to be finished no later than the first of December. That gives about eight months which would seem to be pushing it.

 

When UCLA was renovated during the 2011-12 season they played 14 games at the Sports Arena (former home of the Clippers and USC), four home games in Anaheim (home of the hockey Ducks), and an exhibition game in Orange County. I suspect Kentucky will have to do the same, at least for the non-conference schedule. I could see several games in Freedom Hall, maybe one or two in Cincinnati, maybe a couple weaklings in Memorial Coliseum and then start SEC play in the finished arena around the first of January.

 

I could see games played with reduced seating during the season. I think for the most part upper arena will be left pretty much as is (could add seat backs, that would be nice) and any luxury boxes would have to go at the top of the lower arena, that area could be blocked off during games.

Press conference scheduled for 1:00 Wednesday. Stay tuned.

 

Anything yet, or is the press conference still on?

Architect & construction company named for Rupp Arena renovations

The plans include private suites, a new scoreboard, and chair-back seats throughout the arena. The first phase of the projects is set to begin in the fall of 2014.

 

 

This is from pre-press conference

When UCLA was renovated during the 2011-12 season they played 14 games at the Sports Arena (former home of the Clippers and USC), four home games in Anaheim (home of the hockey Ducks), and an exhibition game in Orange County. I suspect Kentucky will have to do the same, at least for the non-conference schedule. I could see several games in Freedom Hall, maybe one or two in Cincinnati, maybe a couple weaklings in Memorial Coliseum and then start SEC play in the finished arena around the first of January.

 

If I remember, the university completely botched the Pauley renovations in a number of ways, so as long as UK is more on top of things than UCLA was (which shouldn't be hard), their experience will be a little different.

 

According to that article Jumper_Dad posted, it looks like they're planning to start the project in phases beginning in Fall 2014, so that'll go straight through the middle of the season. If that first phase is luxury suites, then they can probably start that just by closing off a few rows at the top of the lower bowl, as suggested. We'll have to see but they may be able to do this piecemeal without having to shut the place down for too long. Rupp is already in a much better situation than Pauley was.

Press conference just now started. There is a live stream on KSR.

Some UK fans are up in arms about Rupp Arena being made better. UK fans are just plain weird sometimes. :no: :no:

Who's paying for it?

It sounds like Rupp is going to be completely on its own in the future. That means more room to make the arena a little wider which would help with the concourses.

Who's paying for it?

 

My understanding is that it still isn't quite settled but that they've been considering several different options.

It sounds like Rupp is going to be completely on its own in the future. That means more room to make the arena a little wider which would help with the concourses.

 

 

And give me more room to walk to my seats while holding my nachos, hotdogs, popcorn, BBQ sandwich, and Diet Coke.

My understanding is that it still isn't quite settled but that they've been considering several different options.

 

 

Bluegrasspreps.com Arena has a nice ring to it.

Some UK fans are up in arms about Rupp Arena being made better. UK fans are just plain weird sometimes. :no: :no:

I know one that has been quoted in the media...I will not give my opinion on the thread of her...but yeah Jeez:ohbrother: