The ‘new’ Memorial Coliseum brings back memories of the ‘old’ Memorial Coliseum

My father was a college student at the University of Kentucky when Memorial Coliseum opened in 1950. Skeptics said the 11,000-seat on campus facility was too big to be filled, he said. The skeptics were wrong, of course.

Last week, I attended the preview of the “new” Memorial Coliseum , which is scheduled for an August “soft” opening in the midst of an $82 million renovation. The “grand” opening is tentatively scheduled for April of 2025. The updated Coliseum felt nice, thanks to air conditioning finally being added to the 74-year-old structure. Though not completed, Memorial looked nice, too, with gleaming blue seats, smooth seating, new scoreboard and bright new floor.

Still, it brought back my memories of the “old” Memorial Coliseum.

I saw my first University of Kentucky men’s basketball game on Feb. 22, 1971. The Wildcats played Alabama, coached by future UK athletics director C.M. Newton. My Uncle Harry had an extra ticket. We sat in the upper deck. UK rolled 101-74.

Two things stuck out. Alabama had a player named George Harrison, same as the Beatles had a guitar player named George Harrison. (A 12-year-old would notice such a thing.) And UK’s legendary Adolph Rupp coached the game with his foot propped up on a pillow . The then 69-year-old Rupp was battling a foot infection complicated by diabetes. He had spent the previous eight days in the UK Hospital.

A year later, on Feb. 19, 1972, my father took my friends and me to a UK freshman basketball game at the Coliseum for my 13th birthday (two days later). That was the famous “Super Kittens” team before freshmen were eligible to play varsity basketball. It featured Kevin Grevey, Jimmy Dan Conner, Mike Flynn, Bob Guyette, Jerry Hale, Steve Lochmueller and G.J. Smith. The Kittens whipped Florida 108-64 that Saturday afternoon. A good time had by all.

Music at Memorial

I saw one of my first concerts in Memorial Coliseum — Jackson Browne on Nov. 5, 1976. I went with three friends, one of whom, Brian, was originally from Colorado. On the drive back to Winchester, Brian argued that John Denver was a better songwriter than Jackson Browne. Hot debate ensued.

I saw REM, Sting and the Talking Heads, among others, in Memorial Coliseum. The Talking Heads played their Oct. 18, 1983, show with the lights turned up because of a bomb threat.

(Side story regarding Sting. Three weeks before he played Memorial Coliseum on Nov. 3, 1985, Sting played the University of Georgia Coliseum in Athens. Someone asked Vince Dooley if he attended the show. “No,” said the legendary football coach, “but I heard he raised a ruckus.”)

By the time I reached UK, the Wildcats were playing at 23,000-seat Rupp Arena, which opened in 1976. The only other Kentucky men’s basketball game I saw in Memorial was the March 17, 2009, NIT win over UNLV . It was Billy Gillispie’s final game as UK coach in Lexington.

At both the Kentucky Kernel and then the Herald-Leader, I did cover the SEC champion UK women’s basketball team led by Valerie Still, Patty Jo Hedges and Lea Wise. I was there the night of Feb. 5, 1983, when the Lady Kats drew a then-record crowd of 10,622 to Memorial for an 80-66 win over Old Dominion.

Shirts vs. Skins

I saw Rex Chapman for the first time at Memorial Coliseum when Owensboro Apollo played in a high school tournament. I was impressed. And as a UK student, I also hooped on the floor of Memorial. No one was impressed.

In those days, student ticket distribution was held Sunday mornings at Memorial. Formed lines were led inside the building to sit on the seats of the Coliseum while you waited for distribution to begin. To pass the time, students were allowed to play pickup basketball down on the floor. Shirts vs. Skins. Those were the days.

There are new days ahead. Last week, we asked AD Mitch Barnhart if Memorial could be used for other events besides UK women’s basketball, volleyball, gymnastics and the STUNT team. Concerts, perhaps. High school tournaments. Other assorted events. You name it. Barnhart basically said anything was possible in the “new” Memorial Coliseum.

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