What Was Your First Rupp Arena Experience?

Indyadolph

Senior
Mar 16, 2003
679
675
93
First game: Opening night, vs. Wisconsin, 1976.
First concert: KISS, 1-18-78
I was supposed to attend that KISS concert, but Mother Nature dumped about 8-inches or so of snow on Louisville, and that ended my trip to Lexington.
 

know1

Heisman
Dec 8, 2002
12,855
14,925
0
UK vs Navy and David Robinson. I think it was 1985 or 1986. I'm too lazy to look it up.
 

Indyadolph

Senior
Mar 16, 2003
679
675
93
Senior Night, March 4,1978. UK vs UNLV.
We led by 1 at halftime but blew them out in the second half. The crowd was the loudest thing I ever heard. One of the loudest moments was when James Lee drove to the basket and did one of his famous dunks nearly taking down the rim. I thought the roof was going to lift of Rupp Arena. By far the best game I’ve ever seen. Robey, Lee, Givens, Phillips were all seniors!! Amazing memory.
I can remember NBC signing on with the broadcast, and Curt Gowdy began with this:
(Paraphrasing) "Adolph Rupp arrived here at Kentucky in 1930 and began building powerhouse teams."
Well said, Curt.
 
Oct 9, 2015
14,157
37,578
78
1993
Athletes in Action - W
Australian Team - L
Louisville - W

These were my first three games at Rupp. Two exhibitions and then we beat L’ville like 78-70 or something. We lost the second exhibition. Lost to Marquette in the second game of tourney that season. Was my freshman year, living in Haggin. Went to every home game that season and the next. When I walked into Rupp for the first time I got tears in my eyes. Poor kid from the ghetto, it was a huge accomplishment to be at UK and something I didn’t take for granted.
 
Jan 3, 2003
145,534
15,709
0
1987 KY State Tournament
I was there as part of a group to walk on the court during halftime of a game as a participant in the new Academic KY Sweet 16 Competition (I was on my school's Math Team). So I got to stand at about the FT line across from the home bench. Ironically, my future roommate and best friend from college (that I had not met yet) was playing for Louisville Doss in that game, vs Feldhaus and Mason Co.

My first (UK) game was my SR year at WKU, I got a ticket for the Cats against #12 LSU (w/ 7'1 Shaq, Chris Jackson, & 7'0 Stanley Roberts). UK got the big upset win 100-95 with our 6'7-6'7-6'7 front line. That was Pitino's 1st team that finished a surprising 14-14, year before Mashburn.

The year before I had seen my first UK game, UK vs WKU, but it was at Freedom Hall. And yes I was in the WKU student section wearing UK blue as were many others.
 
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Rush2112 UK

All-Conference
Dec 3, 2006
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I was supposed to attend that KISS concert, but Mother Nature dumped about 8-inches or so of snow on Louisville, and that ended my trip to Lexington.
I grew up in Danville. My dad took me and a few friends to the concert. It took him 2 hours to get to Lexington, normally a 50-55 minute drive.
 
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