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  • Would Rupp Arena renovation puts top seats even farther from the floor?

    By: LARRY VAUGHT



    Kentucky fan Tom McCauley called us on WLAP Sunday Morning Sports Talk indicating that with the proposed Rupp Arena renovation, the top seats in the upper deck would be 10 rows farther from the floor. He followed what with an email about the seating that could have a big impact on those fans sitting in the upper deck.

    “Please feel free to confirm that the upper arena seats will be 10 rows higher because of the luxury boxes. Plus they plan to shape the upper arena in a bowl which will make the sight lines longer and not as good as they are now,” said McCauley. “I have been to MSG (Madison Square Garden). I was surprised how far you seemed to be away from the court even in the lower portions of the arena because of the bowl shape.

    “I called the (Lexington) mayor’s call-in show and he called me back and told me all seats will start where Row 10 is now (in the upper deck). Where else are they going to put the luxury boxes? So it makes sense but I have never heard this mentioned. The Mayor called me back and did not say this on his radio show.”

    That left me wondering what might be happening, so I contacted UK deputy director of athletics DeWayne Peevy.

    “Total number is reduced upstairs but we don’t have details of rows. The reduction is replaced downstairs with club seating in the original plan,” said Peevy.

    But will the top seats be farther from the floor with the renovation plans?

    “I'm not sure. Didn't get too far in the process on the UK side,” Peevy said of the stalled negotiations.
    Comments 10 Comments
    1. CitizenBBN's Avatar
      CitizenBBN -
      They wont' be "farther" from the floor per se, it's just that the first 10 rows in that scenario would be gone, so if you were on A before you're on J now. If you're on Y and you manage to stay on that same row you aren't any farther, but technically you'd be on Y-10.

      It's one of the reasons I've never been all that bent on getting the renovation. i'd love to have Rupp re-skinned with something nice, that 70s bunker architecture isn't very inviting, but you can't do that without finding revenue somewhere and what little there is would have to come from more perks and such for the big money folks and fewer of the every day folks. No other way to get it that I have seen proposed. You aren't adding people, you aren't adding games, where else does $300 million come from? Only way is to get more from the 24K who come to those games isn't it?

      You could fit in the suites etc. by taking out the top of the upper deck too, or going dugout style on the bottom, but that didn't seem to get very far. I liked the dugout idea.
    1. ajp40505's Avatar
      ajp40505 -
      Huge new video screens will be available for those in the upper part of the upper deck to get a much better view than they have now. Anyone sitting high up in Cowboy stadium would be crazy to not watch the action on the video screen.

      UK has agreed to pay $10.7 million annually for the use of the facility. Needless to say, the gate that UK will receive will increase significantly from the sale of luxury boxes, a bigger cut of concessions, a bigger cut in advertising, and more than likely, higher K Fund and ticket prices.
    1. Bakert's Avatar
      Bakert -
      Quote Originally Posted by CitizenBBN View Post
      They wont' be "farther" from the floor per se, it's just that the first 10 rows in that scenario would be gone, so if you were on A before you're on J now. If you're on Y and you manage to stay on that same row you aren't any farther, but technically you'd be on Y-10.
      So how are they going to increase capacity since everything I've heard is that any renovation would not decrease capacity.
    1. Bakert's Avatar
      Bakert -
      Quote Originally Posted by ajp40505 View Post
      Huge new video screens will be available for those in the upper part of the upper deck to get a much better view than they have now. Anyone sitting high up in Cowboy stadium would be crazy to not watch the action on the video screen.
      "Rupp Arena - It's Like Watching From Your Living Room!!*"

      *Other than driving to/from, paying for parking, and concessions.
    1. MickintheHam's Avatar
      MickintheHam -
      Quote Originally Posted by Bakert View Post
      So how are they going to increase capacity since everything I've heard is that any renovation would not decrease capacity.
      I've never seen anything definitive on capacity and anything I've read is basically propaganda from the LCC. Conceivably they could increase capacity as there is some wasted space in the arena. But I would be shocked if the capacity turns out to be more than 22k.

      I am to the point that I hope they do very little to the arena. It does not appear that UK would benefit significantly from selling luxury boxes. Much of the money is designated to pay off the arena improvements. I have a feeling most fans would prefer to continue to pay current prices for the existing set up, rather than pay a lot more for tickets that only fund perquisites for the few. I don't need a chair back and I don't need a cup holder, at least not at the prices I believe I would be asked to pay. I'm not buying the demo that LCC is selling.
    1. Bakert's Avatar
      Bakert -
      Quote Originally Posted by MickintheHam View Post
      I've never seen anything definitive on capacity and anything I've read is basically propaganda from the LCC. Conceivably they could increase capacity as there is some wasted space in the arena. But I would be shocked if the capacity turns out to be more than 22k.

      I am to the point that I hope they do very little to the arena. It does not appear that UK would benefit significantly from selling luxury boxes. Much of the money is designated to pay off the arena improvements. I have a feeling most fans would prefer to continue to pay current prices for the existing set up, rather than pay a lot more for tickets that only fund perquisites for the few. I don't need a chair back and I don't need a cup holder, at least not at the prices I believe I would be asked to pay. I'm not buying the demo that LCC is selling.
      Totally agree. My thinking there would be no loss of capacity and perhaps an increase was perhaps more what people were hoping than actual plans. But other than a few things (larger concourses) I'm not sure what needs to be done inside. However, I agree with Chuck that getting rid of the industrial look outside would be nice.
    1. CitizenBBN's Avatar
      CitizenBBN -
      Quote Originally Posted by Bakert View Post
      So how are they going to increase capacity since everything I've heard is that any renovation would not decrease capacity.
      I doubt they increase capacity and I'll be surprised if they really hold it even with the plan as I currently understand it.
    1. MickintheHam's Avatar
      MickintheHam -
      Quote Originally Posted by CitizenBBN View Post
      I doubt they increase capacity and I'll be surprised if they really hold it even with the plan as I currently understand it.
      Citizen, I started out a proponent of this renovation, but I no longer trust anyone on the LCC/Urban Govt. Side. You can't expect the UK basketball fans to pay for the extravagance of what this crowd wants. They see a Golden Goose in UK athletics and they want a piece of the action. It is a shame.
    1. ajp40505's Avatar
      ajp40505 -
      Quote Originally Posted by MickintheHam View Post
      Citizen, I started out a proponent of this renovation, but I no longer trust anyone on the LCC/Urban Govt. Side. You can't expect the UK basketball fans to pay for the extravagance of what this crowd wants. They see a Golden Goose in UK athletics and they want a piece of the action. It is a shame.
      Some of you guys amaze me. This is not a UK project it's a City of Lexington project. The City own the facilities that happen to be 40 years old and want to do a major upgrade that will last beyond the life of the 30 year bonds. UK is a lessee and as such agreed to terms that will have them pay 10.7 million annually for 30 years. UK agreed to the 10.7 million lease payment because they know they will receive significantly more than that in gate receipts, concession receipts, advertising revenue and the revenue from the sale of luxury boxes.

      Any money UK basketball fans will be asked to pay will come from UK, not the LCC/LFUCG side.
    1. MickintheHam's Avatar
      MickintheHam -
      Quote Originally Posted by ajp40505 View Post
      Some of you guys amaze me. This is not a UK project it's a City of Lexington project. The City own the facilities that happen to be 40 years old and want to do a major upgrade that will last beyond the life of the 30 year bonds. UK is a lessee and as such agreed to terms that will have them pay 10.7 million annually for 30 years. UK agreed to the 10.7 million lease payment because they know they will receive significantly more than that in gate receipts, concession receipts, advertising revenue and the revenue from the sale of luxury boxes.

      Any money UK basketball fans will be asked to pay will come from UK, not the LCC/LFUCG side.
      Your reading comprehension seems to be poor this morning. Nowhere has anyone implied, suggested or even remotely referred to this as a UK project. All decisions come from the Mayor and LCC. The UK project will come when the University Board of Trustees determines how they will move forward.

      Of course the money UK fans will have to pay will come from the University. That may be just why the University is balking at this thing. They don't want to raise prices by as much as LCC and their cronies will need. I believe UK feels they should receive the money (or a large part of it) from the luxury boxes and other premium offerings. They may also wish to keep the concession money from their events as they do from every other UK athletics event. With beer sales coming in the future, concessions will be an even bigger factor in the negotiations.

      But you need to understand one thing. The LCC, Rupp Arena and many of the downtown projects don't exist without the financial support of UK athletics and its fans. To create this piggy in a sack on the backs of the University and its stakeholders is ridiculous. UK can build something of its own, on campus, much cheaper, and to their specifications. UK does not need these political clowns. They have completely botched this project with their greed and stupidity.
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