< PreviousA dolph Rupp was synonymous with win- ning. As coach of Kentucky, he was a pioneer in the Wildcats’ fast-break offense while becoming the winningest coach the game had ever seen. The site that now serves as a tribute to his outstanding coaching accomplishments – Rupp Arena – has become one of the most recognizable gym- nasiums in the world while serving as home to college basketball’s most storied program. Now in its 50th season as the home court of Kentucky basketball, the facility has seen UKwin more than 88% of its home games since it opened in 1976. Long considered the mecca of college basketball, Rupp Arena received a $16 mil- lion upgrade over the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons that has enhanced the fan experi- ence and once again made it one of the pre- mier venues in all of college basketball. The most notable updates include: n State-of-the-art Daktronics center-hung video board n 15mm ribbon boards n Replaced 16mm LED corner video boards with 6mm LED video boards to produce HD quality image n L Acoustic Line Array audio speaker system n Total sanding and repainting of the floor to reflect UK’s updated branding and logo n New basketball goals and new shot clocks n Added press box seating to the east side of the arena n 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 n Replaced static ad panels in lower four corners of the arena with LED ad panels After renovations, Rupp Arena seats 20,500. Following the 2012 season, the Wildcats received a $3.1 million renovation to their locker room. Funded with private donations, the facility features the actual floor from the 2012 championship game. It has its own kitchen and dining area, as well as hot and cold tubs inlaid with the UK logo. There is also a recruiting room that is available to all 22 sports at the University of Kentucky. Since the fall of 1976, the arena in down- town Lexington has served as home to four national championship teams at Kentucky. Six others have advanced to the Final Four. Thirteen seasons have witnessed the Cats go unbeaten at home. It has played host to more than 700 UK games, more than 30 KHSAA Sweet Six- teens, a number of NBA exhibitions, 12 Men’s NCAA Tournaments, three Southeast- ern Conference Tournaments and two Ohio Valley Conference Tournaments. A new floor was installed in 2001. With so many unforgettable moments, the old floor still maintained a value to hoop fans across the Bluegrass and beyond. Therefore, offi- cials made pieces of the relic available for public sale, with proceeds going to the UK Basketball Museum, the KHSAA and to help offset the costs of the new playing floor. Thanks to an auction of additional sections, like coaching boxes and lettered end zones, the old floor generated more than $250,000. Midcourt of the old floor rests in the main entrance of the Lexington Center. When assembled, the court lies 118 feet below the ceiling and is made of a high-grade northern maple. The floor can be removed and an ice rink can be constructed for ice shows or hockey games thanks to a $2.5 mil- lion renovation during the summer of 1996. But the playing surface is just one aspect of the impressive home of the Cats. Situat- ed in downtown Lexington, Rupp Arena has played host to several premier basketball events. In March of 1985, all roads led to Lex- ington for the NCAA Final Four as Villanova shocked Georgetown in a memorable finale. In 1986, Rupp played host to both the SEC Tournament and the NCAA Women’s Final Four. On numerous other occasions, the arena has served as one stop en route to the NCAA title game. Starting in 2016, Rupp Arena hosted three straight NCAA women’s regional rounds. An awesome structure in sight and scope, the arena is divided into two seat- ing areas. The lower level features 10,000 cushioned theater seats. The upper level has 10,500 seats with new chairback seats in sections 211-217 and 228-234. The latter can be visually isolated to provide more nat- ural setting for small shows. Built by the city of Lexington, the are- na is the major portion of the $53 million Lexington Center complex, which includes an expanded convention-exhibition hall, a 50-store tri-level enclosed shopping mall and a Hyatt Regency Hotel. In January 2001, the Wildcats began utilizing a new lights-out introduction, fea- turing a video presentation and indoor fire- works. Rupp Arena Facts Capacity: 20,500 UK’s record: 676-88 (.885) Most Wins in a Season: 19 (2014-15) Longest Winning Streak: 54 (11/13/09 to 12/1/12) Packed to the Rafters •Now in its 50th season as the home court of Kentucky basketball, the facility has seen UKwin more than 88% of its home games since it opened in 1976 •Prior to reducing seating capacity for the 2019-20 season, Kentucky led the nation in average home attendance in 20 of the previous 24 seasons •Since Rupp Arena opened for the 1976-77 season, and excluding the 2020-21 season that was affected by the COVID-19 pan- demic, UK has ranked either first or second in average attendance every season •Chair-back seating was installed in the upper-sideline area prior to the 2019-20 season. Two club areas for season ticket holders opened in 2021-22 season with a third opening during the 2022-23 season •A center-hung scoreboard, ribbon boards, a new sound system and lighting were installed over the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons @UKSportsNetwork n 7172 n @KentuckyMBB KENTUCKY BASKETBALL By Ben Slack UK Athletics Communications and Public Relations T he University of Kentucky gymnastics team will compete inside the friendly confines of Historic Memorial Coliseum six times during the 2026 season, head coach Tim Garrison announced. The home slate features five regular season meets in addi- tion to the return of postseason gymnastics to Lexington with the 2026 NCAA Regional Championships. All five home regular season opponents that the Cats will face in 2026 advanced to the postseason play, highlighted by defend- ing National Champion Oklahoma. Also coming to the Bluegrass are Missouri and Florida, both of whom advanced to the Na- tional Championships in 2025. Rounding out the home opponents are 2025 NCAA Region- al Final squad Arizona State and 2025 NCAA Regional team Georgia. After the 2026 squad debuts at the pre- viously announced Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad in West Valley City, Utah on January 10, the Cats will return home to open Historic Memorial Coliseum against Arizona State. The meet will take place on the week- end of January 16 and will be the first meeting between the two programs since tying at the 2021 NCAA Salt Lake City Regional Final. The Sun Devils last traveled to the Bluegrass in 2015, when the Cats claimed victory on Ex- cite Night. SEC Gymnastics will return to Lexington on the weekend of January 30, as seven-time national champion Oklahoma enters Histor- ic Memorial Coliseum for the first time as a conference foe. The Wildcats and Sooners have met 15 times, but the 2026 meet will mark just the second time Oklahoma has competed in Lexington and first since Excite Night 2012—the first meet in Garrison’s ten- ure. Missouri will be the next team competing in Lexington, with the Tigers coming to town on the weekend of February 13. The Cats have enjoyed success against Mizzou in Lex- ington, holding a 8-1 advantage in the series when played in the Bluegrass. The penultimate home meet in the reg- ular season will see the Georgia GymDogs compete against Kentucky on the weekend of February 27. The Cats have won each of the last two regular season meetings against Georgia in Lexington, claiming their first two dual victories in the series in 2022 and 2024. The Wildcats will close the regular season with a showdown with Florida on the week- end of March 13. Finally, for the first time since 2010, the NCAA Regional Championships will return to Lexington and take place inside Historic Memorial Coliseum from April 2-5. The meet will be one of four sites around the country and feature nine teams competing over three days in the aforementioned window. A First Round, play-in dual meet between regional seeds No. 8 and No. 9 will take place on Thurs- day, April 2 before two second round quad meets featuring regional seeds No. 1 through No. 7, as well as the winner of Wednesday’s dual, will occur on Friday, April 3. The top two teams from each second round session will advance to the regional final, slated for Sun- day, April 5, with the top two teams advanc- ing to the 2026 NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships in Ft. Worth, Texas from April 16-18. The Wildcats return 11 gymnasts—includ- ing two-time All-American Creslyn Brose— from last year’s regional final team that earned the program’s fourth consecutive top ten finish. Seven freshman and one transfer will also join the Cats for the 2026 season, looking to help replace a decorated senior class that included five All-Americans. Fans are encouraged to ensure their seats inside Historic Memorial Coliseum for the 2026 regular season by placing a $0 deposit at the following link: https://am.ticketmas- ter.com/uky/buy/26GYMDeposits. Fans who place deposits will be contacted in the fall to complete the season ticket process, includ- ing the selection of seats. Fans who had sea- son tickets for the 2025 season do NOT need to place a deposit for 2026. Olympic Sports Update n Gymnastics Kentucky Gymnastics Unveils 2026 Home ScheduleD r. Eli Capilouto became the 12th Pres- ident of the University of Kentucky on July 1, 2011. Under his leadership, the Commonwealth’s flagship and land grant research university has grown from $2.7 billion to $8.6 billion in total operations and has gained significant momentum in ad- vancing Kentucky — the institution’s singu- lar yet multifaceted mission. President Capilouto has led a more than $7.3 billion transformation of the campus, aimed at enriching the living-learning ex- perience of UK’s students, ensuring their success; strengthening the university’s re- search infrastructure dedicated to solving Kentucky’s most intractable health and economic challenges; and expanding UK HealthCare’s capacity to teach, heal and serve. Through partnerships with the pri- vate sector, increased philanthropy and effective financial management, UK is self-financing much of this aggressive in- frastructure development with the purpose of equipping the next generation of leaders who will impact our Commonwealth and world for the better. Under his leadership, the university has experienced historic student suc- cess; enhanced care of our people; unri- valed ingenuity; greater trust, transparen- cy and accountability; and one communi- ty made up of many people. The progress on campus is resulting in a high-quality workforce and improved well-being for the Commonwealth UK has served for more than 160 years — all essential to ad- vancing Kentucky. A native of Montgomery, Alabama, Dr. Capilouto previously served as provost of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and dean of the UAB School of Pub- lic Health — a period of remarkable growth and transformation at one of the leading academic and health sciences institutions in the South. Dr. Capilouto holds several undergraduate and graduate degrees from schools within the University of Alabama system, a Doctorate of Dental Medicine from UAB and a Doctorate in Health Policy and Management from Harvard University. He and his wife, Dr. Mary Lynne Capilouto (D.M.D.), a former Dean of the UAB School of Dentistry, have one daughter. Eli Capilouto n President of the University of Kentucky 74 n @KentuckyMBB KENTUCKY BASKETBALLLEARN MORE AT UKY.EDU In Every Community. For Every Kentuckian. At the University of Kentucky, we don’t just show up on game day. We show up every day…for farmers, for families, for patients in our hospitals and for students chasing bold dreams. We are advancing agriculture and healthcare, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship and expanding opportunities for Kentuckians so they become healthier, wealthier and wiser. We are the University of, for and with Kentucky. And we’re advancing Kentucky together. AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY UNIVERSITYN ow in his 24th year as Director of Athlet- ics at the University of Kentucky, Mitch Barnhart’s impact spans the past, present, and future of UK Athletics while reach- ing across the entire landscape of college sports. Massive changes are underway in col- lege athletics, and Barnhart is once again helping lead the way. He is one of 10 athlet- ics directors on the Settlement Implementa- tion Committee, guiding the national rollout of the House case settlement. “Ten years of work in ten months,” he says with a wry grin. This isn’t Barnhart’s first national leader- ship role in tumultuous times. In 2020–21, he chaired the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tour- nament Committee. With the 2020 tour- nament canceled due to COVID-19, losing another landmark event would have jeop- ardized the NCAA’s primary revenue source and its championship operations across Di- visions I, II, and III. Working with the NCAA staff, Barnhart and his committee reorganized the massive event in just three months. The first-of-its-kind ar- rangement preserved one of America’s most cherished sporting events and kept the NCAA financially afloat, in addition to providing mil- lions of dollars to participating schools. At Kentucky, Barnhart is also shaping the future. UK Athletics is transitioning to Champions Blue LLC, a new business struc- ture enabling more agile financial opportu- nities. It’s being hailed as a groundbreaking model in college athletics. Barnhart’s 23-plus years at UK make him the second-longest serving AD among Pow- er 4 schools. With Oklahoma’s Joe Castigli- one set to retire, Barnhart will soon become the longest-tenured Power 4 AD. Barnhart has a long history of national service. In addition to his five-year term on the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Committee, he served on the College Foot- ball Playoff Committee—one of only four people to serve as men's basketball chair and also on the football committee. Barnhart’s national influence extends through his “AD tree” – seven former staffers have become Division I athletics directors. Under Barnhart’s leadership, UK Athlet- ics placed in the top 20 of the NACDA Direc- tors’ Cup all-sports standings from 2017–23 (excluding 2020). The program’s nine best finishes have all come during his tenure, including a school-record ninth place in 2021–22, driven by a national title in rifle, an NCAA runner-up finish in men’s tennis, and third-place finishes in women’s indoor and outdoor track and field. UK has earned six NCAA championships under Barnhart: men’s basketball (2012), volleyball (2020), and rifle (2011, 2018, 2021, 2022). The Wildcats also have won 60 reg- ular-season and tournament conference titles, including first-time championships in baseball, women’s tennis, men’s golf, STUNT, and women’s swimming and diving. Since 2020, five Wildcats have been named National Athlete of the Year in their sport. Asia Seidt of swimming and diving re- ceived the NCAA Woman of the Year award for her excellence in athletics, academics, and community service. Numerous other Wildcats have earned national honors for their achievements on the field, in the class- room, and in the community. UK athletes have also been recognized as SEC Male and Female Athlete of the Year, SEC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and SEC Male and Female Community Service Leaders of the Year. On the international stage, UK athletes made a major impact at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Eleven Wildcats earned 13 med- als—including nine golds—tying for third among colleges for most medals won by Team USA athletes. Barnhart’s success has earned him per- sonal accolades. In 2022, he was inducted into the (State of) Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame and received the John L. Toner Award from the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame for excellence in ath- letics administration. These honors add to a growing list of ac- colades, including being named the 2019 Division I AD of the Year by SportsBusiness Journal. Since arriving at UK in 2002, Barnhart has emphasized academic achievement and community engagement. The depart- ment first reached a 3.0 GPA in spring 2010 and has maintained that standard for 26 consecutive semesters. Wildcats con- tribute up to 4,000 hours of community service annually, with outreach extending to Ethiopia, the Dominican Republic, and Panama. Barnhart’s personal life reflects his com- mitment to growth and service. He is an avid mountain climber, has completed tandem parachute jumps with the Army Golden Knights, participated in mission trips, and serves on the national advisory board of K-Love Radio. A native of Kansas City, Kansas, Barnhart and his wife, Connie, have three children and seven grandchildren. Mitch Barnhart n Director of Athletics n University of Kentucky 76 n @KentuckyMBB KENTUCKY BASKETBALLNext >