per KSR. Chairbacks for part of upper. Clubs in a parking area. Etc. talking about it now. Not this upcoming season but the following.
Rupp losing 3000 seats
- Thread starter jedwar
- Start date
https://ukathletics.com/news/2018/5...ial-details-on-upcoming-rupp-renovations.aspx
http://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/uk-basketball-men/article211901569.html
"Presently, UK sets aside about 4,000 tickets for students, officials said. There are about 17,000 season-ticket holders. Another 3,000 tickets are designated for staff. Rupp Arena's current capacity is listed as 23,000, but UK officials say standing-room only space is close to 24,000."
http://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/uk-basketball-men/article211901569.html
"Presently, UK sets aside about 4,000 tickets for students, officials said. There are about 17,000 season-ticket holders. Another 3,000 tickets are designated for staff. Rupp Arena's current capacity is listed as 23,000, but UK officials say standing-room only space is close to 24,000."
Major changes coming. Hopefully makes Rupp a better atmosphere.
All of Lexington Center in fact...much needed face lift. Convention space etc.... Very big project.
Great idea. The place is outdated and maybe this will somehow make it a better home court advantage
Maybe the "blue hairs" will get drunk and be loud and obnoxious.
Win Win
Win Win
Maybe if the old farts sit in the club level
Reserve old farts will arrive in chariots to replace them.
Not with the older 'will you please sit down and quiet down fans', gotta be one of the only sports venues where people will take issue with you standing up and being loud. The proper etiquette at Rupp is sit down and watch the damned basketball game, use your inside voices, and if you go in, raise hell, and make lots of noise for your team, you will at that point piss way too many people off and catch a lot of dirty looks with people acting like you've never been in public before. Don't dare stand up either, your lesson will be learned quickly, rupp goers have no patience for those who stand up during a sporting event where in every other venue in the country, it's encouraged to support your team.
At Rupp, they think there's other proper ways to support your team without standing up and cheering loudly, you can support your team by sitting down respectfully and an occasional golf clap. Anything other than that just shows how little class you have. It's a sporting venue like no other when it comes to these things. I love rupp and our team, but way too often you can hear a pen drop on the hardwood in that place regardless how high up you are, and the sad part is, there's an overwhelming amount of people who like it/make it that way.
Place small electrical devices in lower arena chair seats. When we score send a small shock to their seat and they will stand and yell. Problem solved.
All sounds like much needed additions which address a number of areas. The lower level is perfect as is, so no changes there. I upper level drastically needed a makeover. The addition of the seats will be great.
Adding club areas is a very common thing nowadays and is a great way to accommodate those desiring a more all-inclusive experience that allows everyone a chance to grab a cocktail in Rupp before and during the game.
Attendance has been dropping for sporting events across the country and even UK basketball is not immune to that. I’d rather have all home games at capacity (or very close to) than a handful of games sold out and empty seats on the rest.
Great mover overall imo.
Adding club areas is a very common thing nowadays and is a great way to accommodate those desiring a more all-inclusive experience that allows everyone a chance to grab a cocktail in Rupp before and during the game.
Attendance has been dropping for sporting events across the country and even UK basketball is not immune to that. I’d rather have all home games at capacity (or very close to) than a handful of games sold out and empty seats on the rest.
Great mover overall imo.
Step in the positive direction.
I would still prefer an on-campus arena.
I am a bit surprised by the 3K tickets for "designated staff". I know 25 years ago when I was a TA at UK, I remember one of the professors telling me that I had the best of both worlds, the benefits of faculty (discount at the book store), and the benefits of a student (basketball & football tickets). He went on to say that faculty had no more access to tickets than anyone outside the University. But even if some senior level faculty & administrators (i.e. department heads) do have tickets, 3K seems like a lot. They could easily cut that to 1-2K, by cutting who gets them or how many games they get.
I wouldn't cut the student tickets less than 4K. In fact, I would change the seating so that the students get the first say 4-6 rows all they way around the court, and the E-Rupp-tion Zone.
I do also question the 3K fewer seats as a result of the remodel. I know the seats in the lower arena have the armrests & cupholders. Cupholders are not needed, OR if you have them then do it like many baseball stadiums and put them on the back of the seat in front of you so they don't take up space. I also am not sure the upper level seats need arm rests. Chairback seats are a must, but you don't need an armrest, that is taking up valuable space. If for example a seat is 16" wide, and then 2" more is given to an arm rest and the folding mechanism, that is about 11% of the space used for the armrest & folding mechanism. Remove those and you don't loose nearly as many seats.
As for the season ticket holders, I wish there were an easy way to determine which ones are using the seats themselves for a majority of the games, and which ones use the seats as a personal revenue. Actually, I'm sure there is probably some scanning and facial recognition software that could be used to determine that. If the same people don't use the seats for 1/2 the games then they are moved back X (5 maybe) rows the following year. If it happens a 2nd year, they are moved back 10 more rows, and a 3rd year you lose your season tickets. This still wouldn't catch those who sell the whole season ticket to 1 person.
True about sporting attendance everywhere. TV screens are bigger and in most homes, TV quality is better, and today's world has more distractions, fewer people want to commit 3+ hours to going to a game.
Sounds similar to the process we went through in Commonwealth when they made changes. Have to go through a seating selection process based on K Fund points which has me worried about losing my good seats in uppers right at mid court that I now have. Just hope I still am able to get season tickets at this point. Also sounds like season tickets will be more expensive and maybe adding K Fund to upper level seats too?? It will be interesting and I'll bet there will be pissed off fans when it happens.
Those are used to compensate the posters on the football board who defend Mitch.
I'd say there is a good chance I've seen my last game in Rupp. I'm not going to anymore games against non Power 5 conference teams and I'm not going to pay $150 a seat for the other games. Kind of like I am with football now, it will be neutral site and road games for me in the future.
No more attendance records for UK
yep. Around the time we announced we were taking seats out of Commonwealth and everyone was moaning about that (me too, probably, if I'm being honest), I read a story in the Wall Street Journal of all places, and it told of how colleges all over the country were taking out seats (usually in favor of luxury boxes). Like you say, the world is changing. Honestly, if makes me wonder what college stadiums and arenas will look like in 30 years, or 50. Will anyone actually drive across a state to go to a game, when their entire living room wall (all 20 feet across and 9 feet high) is a television monitor?
I don’t care about attendance records. I also don’t care they are taking student tickets when the students have shown they don’t use the tickets. Hell they can’t fill the eruption zone. These changes are long overdue although it’s too bad they can’t have suites where you can watch game action. The club areas will be only where you can watch the game on tv, not live action. It’s also good that they aren’t raising ticket prices.
This is a positive in my opinion. If student seats are taken away to improve seating for others it is a good thing. Students are the worst of fans and will look for an excuse not to go to a game. So let them stay in the dorm, study for their math test and make room for real fans.
The problem is those tickets won't go to real fans, they'll go to more blue hairs who can actually afford them. Ten UK students in attendance make more noise than the entirety of the lower, geriatric bowl.
I think you guys could find issues with banging a porn star. Geez
I doubt that. The students have proven in football and basketball their interest in UK athletics is low. So who cares if more blue hairs get the tickets They have the money so why not sell them at an inflated expense. Isn't it all about money? Aren't we trying to make as big a profit as we can? Don't we encourage our players to leave college to get the money? Sure we do. Follow the money.
UK has studied this and decided this is the way they can make more $$$$$$$. In this age you reduce your audience and charge more for an improved seat. That makes you money. This is not your grandpa's UK basketball team when it cost $3.50 for a seat. We have moved up from that.
Throughout college basketball, the home crowds are typically a morgue unless a big brand/top team or rival school is the opponent. The only real exception is Duke because their arena is so small and they don't have a large local fan base.
My point wasn't and isn't about money at all. I couldn't care less about Rupp Arena's profit margin; I care about UK home games sounding like a funeral home, which they do, thanks to our lower bowl fans thinking they're at a symphony instead of a basketball game.
Home attendance in most all sports is declining because of the cost to attend, declining interest from milenials, plus the amazing quality of HD TV.
Rupp is no exception.
The ability and desire to go to a game has become almost exclusively for an older or more affluent clientele. The days of taking a family to a live sporting event has become so expensive, that the average Joe has been priced out of getting season tickets to most major college sports(football and Big time basketball).
Therefore, it doesn’t surprise me in the least that UK is gearing there product toward a higher income fan. However, if the NCAA doesn’t figure out a way to make these big time sports more attractive to this younger generation, the money will dry up and seats will eventually go empty.
Rupp is no exception.
The ability and desire to go to a game has become almost exclusively for an older or more affluent clientele. The days of taking a family to a live sporting event has become so expensive, that the average Joe has been priced out of getting season tickets to most major college sports(football and Big time basketball).
Therefore, it doesn’t surprise me in the least that UK is gearing there product toward a higher income fan. However, if the NCAA doesn’t figure out a way to make these big time sports more attractive to this younger generation, the money will dry up and seats will eventually go empty.
I've been going to Rupp for years and I can say that many younger fans sitting around me just sit there and do nothing but look at their phones during much of the game. I feel they are worse than the blue hairs so many complain about. Students at Commonwealth and Rupp are a disgrace and embarrass me as a former UK student myself. They either don't even show up, leaving big blocks of empty seats, or leave early for whatever they prefer to be doing. Not much loyalty among UK students these days, imo.
Rupp needs standing room for students around the entirety of the court. The players like this. The atmosphere needs this. Start up some tradition with the students aside from waving the flag at the beginning. Also, never understood why students could not bring in signs or fatheads. UK policy or SEC policy?
