How does it make sense to play the SEC Tournament in Louisville?

Doesn't the new Yum Yum Arena hold about 24,000 people? That is 4,000 more than the Summit(Bridgestone?) held in Nashville this year. Since no SEC Tournament games can be held on any SEC Teams home floor, I think it would be a great place for the SEC Tournament in KY. That would give UK a home court advantage. We know it would be a sell out.

Or New Orleans, Tampa, Memphis, etc...

 

You could also argue there is no team in Nashville either

They sure had a bad showing of fans at the Tournament in their home town, but so did the other SEC TN team. I would guess that Belmont has a better following than Vandy.

Add me to the list that hates the corporate naming of stadiums/arenas. However, I do understand how the revenue generated by such a move. This name just sounds silly--but it sure looks to be a top notch facility.

Parking will still be a nightmare and I wish UL had managed to get it on campus, but that's just me.

Doesn't the new Yum Yum Arena hold about 24,000 people? That is 4,000 more than the Summit(Bridgestone?) held in Nashville this year. Since no SEC Tournament games can be held on any SEC Teams home floor, I think it would be a great place for the SEC Tournament in KY. That would give UK a home court advantage. We know it would be a sell out.

 

Kentucky already takes 5x the amount of fans to the tourney locations than the arena actually holds, so is it really that imperative for UK to have that "advantage?" How much more of an advantage does UK really need in the SEC tourney?

 

In addition, the city of Louisville wouldn't really get that big of a benefit from hosting the way other tourney sites do. The other SEC schools have shown repeatedly how little they care about basketball. Plus, most of the people (UK fans) who would attend won't be staying in local hotels, and probably wouldn't even be spending money at local restaurants, given how most of the rest of the state thinks of Louisville as a foreign country to be avoided at all cost.

So is UL going to change their Cardinal mascot to Foghorn Leghorn?

Kentucky already takes 5x the amount of fans to the tourney locations than the arena actually holds, so is it really that imperative for UK to have that "advantage?" How much more of an advantage does UK really need in the SEC tourney?

 

In addition, the city of Louisville wouldn't really get that big of a benefit from hosting the way other tourney sites do. The other SEC schools have shown repeatedly how little they care about basketball. Plus, most of the people (UK fans) who would attend won't be staying in local hotels, and probably wouldn't even be spending money at local restaurants, given how most of the rest of the state thinks of Louisville as a foreign country to be avoided at all cost.

:thumb:If you say so!

What a terrible, terrible name. I get so tired of stupid, meaningless corporate names that in no way, shape or form help distinguish the venue from any other. Should've been a local flavor name (no pun intended) such as Denny Crum or Muhammad Ali associated with it.

 

KFC and YUM are very much part of our local flavor....much more so than Crum is, besides the court will be named after him.

KFC and YUM are very much part of our local flavor....much more so than Crum is, besides the court will be named after him.

 

Kentucky Fried Chicken did not make Louisville great. But Denny Crum sure did.

 

And I tend to disagree about the local flavor aspect of Yum Brands. Heck, the restaurant isn't even officially called Kentucky Fried Chicken anymore; it's just some faceless corporate entity.

^It is here....it's money comes here...it is as local as it can get....would you rather we foot the bill?

Another thing, can some of you give it a rest about Carolina and Duke having crazy advantages....particularly in that it is not in their control. North Carolina has 4-5 arenas that can host the tourney. Kentucky will have 2. Who's fault is that.

 

Next, the name is solid, it'll be nicknamed the bucket, and as a now Kentuckian, I am proud the name is in it.

 

UK will not be permitted to play regular season games in the arena. I think that is the right call, regardless of ownership of the arena.

^It is here....it's money comes here...it is as local as it can get....would you rather we foot the bill?

 

That's not the point. A major sports venue should have instant association with the city/area in which it lies. For example, most people, when they think of Louisville, they think of the Derby, Ali and Denny Crum, probably in that order. The name of the arena should reflect something like that. Or, name it after an individual donor or other historical figure. Not some tacky corporation that might disappear in a year (not that I'm saying that will happen with Yum, but the original name of the Astros' stadium was Enron Field, and Baltimore's NFL stadium has had about 10 different names, all tacky).

Here's what I find interesting about this. YUM owns Pizza Hut. During UL events, Papa John's pizza will be sold. During non-UL events Pizza Hut pizza will be sold.

 

Interesting that YUM went along with that.

 

Another interesting business tidbit I heard today is that Coca-Cola brands will be the exclusive drinks served at Yum Brands (a Pepsico spinoff company and still virtually an exclusive server of Pepsi products at their restaurants) Arena?? Lots of irony at this venue already!! :confused:

^ Jim, you aren't really making too valid a point here. Nationally Kentucky is known for KFC about as much as any other thing. Most other people, not named you, understand that this was the likely corporate sponsor. I can't possibly fathom, who'd you rather have foot such a large bill.

^ Jim, you aren't really making too valid a point here. Nationally Kentucky is known for KFC about as much as any other thing. Most other people, not named you, understand that this was the likely corporate sponsor. I can't possibly fathom, who'd you rather have foot such a large bill.

 

How do you figure? Corporate names slapped on sports venues are almost universally reviled by fans.

 

Yes, I did figure it would be the sponsor, as it made the most sense in contrast to other corporate sponsors. That doesn't mean I think it's a good idea for people to be watching games enclosed by a giant piece of advertising.

 

Kentucky may be known for KFC, but Louisville isn't. Slapping KFC or Yum on the new arena in Corbin makes far more sense. Ask most Americans outside of this region what's the first thing they think of when they think of Louisville, and I guarantee one of the three aforementioned names come out first, and "Yum Brands" only comes out of the mouths of financial advisers. Plus, as I noted before, they took the Kentucky out of KFC, thereby further removing any real attachment to the area. While I hate that the Steelers' stadium is named after a corporation, at least the Heinz family and company has legitimate Pittsburgh roots that go back more than a century, rather than just 13 years. "Yum Brands" screams out "Louisville" no more so than "Sun Life Financial" does.

 

As far as who could foot such a bill goes, I'm sure there are more rich Louisvillians than Owsley Brown Frazier who would be happy to put their name on a new arena.