Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center is an arena located in downtown Lexington, Kentucky, United States. Since its opening in 1976, it has been the centerpiece of Central Bank Center, a convention and shopping facility owned by an arm of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, which is located next to the Lexington Hyatt and Hilton hotels. Rupp Arena also serves as home court to the University of Kentucky men's basketball program, and is named after legendary former Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp with an official capacity of 20,500. In 2014 and 2015, in Rupp Arena, the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team was second in the nation in college basketball home attendance. Rupp Arena also regularly hosts concerts, conventions and shows.
Memorial Coliseum is an 8,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Lexington, Kentucky. The facility, which opened in 1950, is home to four women's teams at the University of Kentucky – basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, and stunt. Before Rupp Arena opened in 1976, it also housed the men's basketball team. Memorial Coliseum also housed the university's swimming and diving team prior to the 1989 completion of the Lancaster Aquatics Center.
The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky (UK), a founding member of the Southeastern Conference. The Kentucky Wildcats is the student body of the University of Kentucky. 30,473 students attend the university. Historically, the women's teams and athletes were referred to as the "Lady Kats", but all athletic squads adopted the "Wildcats" nickname in 1995. Collectively, the fans of the Kentucky Wildcats are often referred to as the Big Blue Nation. Their main and most intense rival is the University of Louisville. The Wildcats are composed of 25 varsity teams that compete nationally—23 in NCAA-recognized sports, plus the cheerleading squad and dance team.
Clifford Oldham Hagan is an American former professional basketball player. A 6′ 4″ forward who excelled with the hook shot, Hagan, nicknamed "Li’l Abner", played his entire 10-year NBA career (1956–1966) with the St. Louis Hawks. He was also a player-coach for the Dallas Chaparrals in the first two-plus years of the American Basketball Association's existence (1967–1970). Hagan is a five-time NBA All-Star and an ABA All-Star. He won an NCAA basketball championship in 1951 as a member of the Kentucky Wildcats, and he won an NBA championship with the Hawks in 1958.
Cliff Hagan Stadium was a baseball stadium located in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. Cliff Hagan Stadium or better known to Kentucky Wildcat baseball fans as "The Cliff" is on the southwest side of the university's campus, two blocks away from Kroger Field. Since its opening in 1969, the University of Kentucky Baseball called this place home for just under 50 years. The Wildcats then opened a $49 million baseball stadium called Kentucky Proud Park in 2019. Cliff Hagan Stadium had 7 coaches during its time and 15 All Americans. The stadium was renamed in 1993 in honor of Cliff Hagan, the Basketball Hall of Famer who had played at Kentucky during the 1950s under Adolph Rupp and returned to Kentucky as athletic director after his professional basketball playing days. It was extensively renovated in 2002. Following its final 2018 season, while construction was ongoing on its nearby replacement, it was used for UK baseball summer camps. In 2023, "The Cliff" was torn down to make way for the university's indoor track and field complex.
The Kentucky–Louisville rivalry refers to the rivalry between the University of Kentucky Wildcats (Kentucky) and the University of Louisville Cardinals (Louisville). The Kentucky–Louisville rivalry is one of the most passionate rivalries, especially in men's college basketball. It is considered one of the most intense rivalries in the NCAA. The intensity of the rivalry is captivated by the proximity of the two schools and the commonwealth of Kentucky's interest in college sports.
Charles Martin Newton was an American collegiate basketball player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head men's basketball coach at Transylvania University from 1956 to 1968, the University of Alabama from 1968 to 1980, and Vanderbilt University from 1981 to 1989, compiling a career college basketball coaching record of 509–375. He was chairman of the NCAA Rules committee from 1979 to 1985 and was the president of USA Basketball from 1992 to 1996.
The 1994 Southeastern Conference baseball tournament was again held as separate tournaments for the Eastern Division and the Western Division. The Eastern Division tournament was held at Cliff Hagan Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky. The Western Division tournament was held at Swayze Field in Oxford, MS. Both tournaments were held from May 18 through 21. Tennessee won the Eastern Division tournament and LSU won the Western Division tournament.
The Kentucky Wildcats baseball team represents the University of Kentucky in NCAA Division I college baseball and competes in the Eastern division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The current head coach of the Wildcats is Nick Mingione.
The 2008 Kentucky Wildcats baseball team represented the University of Kentucky in the NCAA Division I baseball season of 2008. The team's head coach was John Cohen. This was his 5th year as Kentucky's head coach. The Wildcats played their home games at Cliff Hagan Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky.
The 2009 Kentucky Wildcats baseball team represented the University of Kentucky in the sport of baseball during the 2009 college baseball season. The Wildcats competed in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They played their home games at Cliff Hagan Stadium, on the university's Lexington, Kentucky campus. The team was coached by Gary Henderson, who was in his first season at Kentucky.
The UK Sports Network, historically known as the Big Blue Sports Network (BBSN) and also formerly known as the UK IMG Sports Network, is the radio and television network of the University of Kentucky Wildcats men's and women's sports teams. It consists of five over-the-air television affiliates and 44 radio stations in Kentucky and neighboring states.
The 2012 Kentucky Wildcats baseball team represented the University of Kentucky in the 2012 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Wildcats played their home games in Cliff Hagan Stadium. The team was coached by Gary Henderson, who was in his fourth season at Kentucky.
The 2013 Kentucky Wildcats baseball team represented the University of Kentucky in the 2013 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Wildcats played their home games in Cliff Hagan Stadium. The team was coached by Gary Henderson, who was in his fifth season at Kentucky.
The 2014 Kentucky Wildcats baseball team represented the University of Kentucky in the 2014 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Wildcats played their home games in Cliff Hagan Stadium. The team was coached by Gary Henderson, who was in his sixth season at Kentucky.
Nick Mingione is a baseball coach and former outfielder, who is the current head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats. He played college baseball at Embry–Riddle University for coach Greg Guilliams from 1997 to 2000.
The 2018 NCAA Division I Baseball season, play of college baseball in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level, began in February 2018. The season progressed through the regular season, many conference tournaments and championship series, and concluded with the 2018 NCAA Division I baseball tournament and 2018 College World Series. The College World Series, consisting of the eight remaining teams in the NCAA tournament and held annually in Omaha, Nebraska, at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha, ended on June 28, 2018.
The 2017 Kentucky Wildcats baseball team represented the University of Kentucky during the 2017 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Wildcats played their home games at Cliff Hagan Stadium as a member of the Southeastern Conference. They were led by head coach Nick Mingione, who was in his first year at Kentucky. Following the conclusion of the regular season, the Wildcats were selected to host their second NCAA Regional, the first since 2006. The Wildcats won their regional, and faced Louisville in the super regionals, losing 2 games to none.
The 2019 NCAA Division I Baseball season, play of college baseball in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level, began February 15, 2019. The season progressed through the regular season, many conference tournaments and championship series, and concluded with the 2019 NCAA Division I baseball tournament and 2019 College World Series. The College World Series, consisting of the eight remaining teams in the NCAA tournament and held annually in Omaha, Nebraska, at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha, ended on June 26, 2019. The Vanderbilt Commodores won the tournament, and were consequently named national champions.
The 2022 NCAA Division I baseball tournament was the 75th edition of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship. The 64-team tournament began on Friday, June 3 as part of the 2022 NCAA Division I baseball season and concluded with the 2022 College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, which started on June 17 and ended on June 27. Ole Miss swept Oklahoma to win their first national championship in program history.
