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Memorial Coliseum (Lexington)
Encyclopedia
Memorial Coliseum is an 9,000-seat multi-purpose arena
in Lexington, Kentucky
. The facility, which opened in 1950, is home to three women's teams at the University of Kentucky
—basketball
, volleyball
, and gymnastics
. Before Rupp Arena
opened in 1976, it also housed the men's basketball team, and continued to house the university's swimming
and diving
team as well until the completion of the Lancaster Aquatics Center in 1989.
The facility was built as a memorial to Kentuckians who had died in World War I
, World War II
and the Korean War
. Later, the names of all Kentuckians who died in the Vietnam War
were added. Originally, it had an official capacity of 12,000, making it the largest arena in the South at the time. However, the Coliseum frequently drew crowds of over 13,000 for many UK basketball games. A major renovation, completed in 1990, reduced the seating capacity to its current total of 9,000 and added an elaborate weight training facility, new offices for the basketball and athletics programs, a players' lounge, and a team meeting room. The seating is now mostly located on the sidelines, and the men's NCAA basketball championship banners still hang on the walls. The building is known for its air of great tradition. While it was the home of the UK Men's Basketball team, it hosted the NCAA
Men's Basketball Tournament ten times, four times as a regional site (1957, 1958, 1967, 1968) and six more as a sub-regional site (1955, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1967, 1975). As home to the University of Kentucky Wildcats, it saw 2 NCAA Men's Basketball national championship teams (1951, 1958), 2 NCAA Men's Basketball runner-up teams (1966, 1975), one NIT
Men's Basketball champion (1976), and 16 Southeastern Conference
(SEC) Men's Basketball regular season champions. Overall, in 26 seasons (1950-51 to 1975-76), the University of Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team posted a remarkable home record of 306-38 (.890). Memorial hosted a first round game in the 2009 National Invitation Tournament
on March 17, 2009 between the Wildcats and the UNLV Running Rebels
., with the Wildcats winning 70-60. The game was held at Memorial instead of Rupp Arena due to a scheduling conflict with the KHSAA
boys' high school basketball state tournament scheduled at Rupp that week.
The Coliseum was also the home of the Kentucky Boys' Sweet Sixteen State Basketball Tournament from 1951 to 1964. Since then, it has hosted numerous high school basketball tournaments over the years.
The Coliseum stands across the street from the former site of Stoll Field/McLean Stadium
, the football team's home before moving to Commonwealth Stadium
in 1973. Prior to the building of the Coliseum, the Kentucky
basketball teams played at Alumni Gymnasium
, a 2,800 seat arena built in 1924 and still standing just down the street.
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
. The facility, which opened in 1950, is home to three women's teams at the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
—basketball
Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball
The Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball team represent the University of Kentucky in the Southeastern Conference, which has historically been the most dominant conference in women's basketball. However, despite reaching national rankings as high as #4, the team has never reached the national...
, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, and gymnastics
Artistic gymnastics
Artistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics where gymnasts perform short routines on different apparatus, with less time for vaulting . The sport is governed by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique , which designs the Code of Points and regulates all aspects of international elite...
. Before Rupp Arena
Rupp Arena
Rupp Arena is an arena located in downtown Lexington, Kentucky, U.S. Since its opening in 1976, it has been the centerpiece of Lexington Center, a convention and shopping facility owned by an arm of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, and serves as home court to the University of...
opened in 1976, it also housed the men's basketball team, and continued to house the university's swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
and diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
team as well until the completion of the Lancaster Aquatics Center in 1989.
The facility was built as a memorial to Kentuckians who had died in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. Later, the names of all Kentuckians who died in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
were added. Originally, it had an official capacity of 12,000, making it the largest arena in the South at the time. However, the Coliseum frequently drew crowds of over 13,000 for many UK basketball games. A major renovation, completed in 1990, reduced the seating capacity to its current total of 9,000 and added an elaborate weight training facility, new offices for the basketball and athletics programs, a players' lounge, and a team meeting room. The seating is now mostly located on the sidelines, and the men's NCAA basketball championship banners still hang on the walls. The building is known for its air of great tradition. While it was the home of the UK Men's Basketball team, it hosted the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Men's Basketball Tournament ten times, four times as a regional site (1957, 1958, 1967, 1968) and six more as a sub-regional site (1955, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1967, 1975). As home to the University of Kentucky Wildcats, it saw 2 NCAA Men's Basketball national championship teams (1951, 1958), 2 NCAA Men's Basketball runner-up teams (1966, 1975), one NIT
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
Men's Basketball champion (1976), and 16 Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) Men's Basketball regular season champions. Overall, in 26 seasons (1950-51 to 1975-76), the University of Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team posted a remarkable home record of 306-38 (.890). Memorial hosted a first round game in the 2009 National Invitation Tournament
2009 National Invitation Tournament
-Semifinals and finals:Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 31 and April 2* denotes each overtime played-NIT Championship:...
on March 17, 2009 between the Wildcats and the UNLV Running Rebels
UNLV Rebels
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas' sports teams are called the Rebels. The Rebels participate in NCAA Division I and in the Mountain West Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. The school's colors are Scarlet and Grey. The Rebels' main rival is the Wolf Pack of the University...
., with the Wildcats winning 70-60. The game was held at Memorial instead of Rupp Arena due to a scheduling conflict with the KHSAA
Kentucky High School Athletic Association
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association has been the governing body of Kentucky high school athletics since 1917. Located in Lexington, the organization sanctions competition in the following sports:*Boys and girls**Basketball**Bowling*...
boys' high school basketball state tournament scheduled at Rupp that week.
The Coliseum was also the home of the Kentucky Boys' Sweet Sixteen State Basketball Tournament from 1951 to 1964. Since then, it has hosted numerous high school basketball tournaments over the years.
The Coliseum stands across the street from the former site of Stoll Field/McLean Stadium
Stoll Field/McLean Stadium
Stoll Field/McLean Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Lexington, Kentucky. It was the home of the University of Kentucky Wildcats football team. The field was in use since 1880, but the concrete stands were opened in October 1916, and closed following the 1972 season, and was replaced by...
, the football team's home before moving to Commonwealth Stadium
Commonwealth Stadium (Kentucky)
Commonwealth Stadium is the name of a stadium in Lexington, Kentucky, USA. This stadium, named for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is located on the campus of the University of Kentucky and is the home field for the school's football team, replacing the smaller Stoll Field/McLean Stadium. The field...
in 1973. Prior to the building of the Coliseum, the Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
basketball teams played at Alumni Gymnasium
Alumni Gymnasium (University of Kentucky)
Alumni Gymnasium is a building on the University of Kentucky campus in Lexington, Kentucky. When it opened in 1924, replacing Alumni Hall , it was a 2,800 seat multi-purpose arena, serving as home to the University of Kentucky Wildcats basketball team. It was replaced when the Memorial Coliseum...
, a 2,800 seat arena built in 1924 and still standing just down the street.
See also
- Buildings at the University of KentuckyBuildings at the University of KentuckyThe University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky is home to many notable structures, including three high-rises. Major construction projects are underway or are being planned that includes a new hospital, School of Pharmacy building, and several new college structures.By floor count and height...
- Cityscape of Lexington, KentuckyCityscape of Lexington, KentuckyThe urban development patterns of Lexington, Kentucky, confined within an urban growth boundary that protects its famed horse farms, include greenbelts and expanses of land between it and the surrounding towns. This has been done to preserve the region's horse farms and the unique Bluegrass...
- University of KentuckyUniversity of KentuckyThe University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...