re: Best Facilities in the SEC?

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Rupp is nearly 40 years old, and is past its prime.

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Memorial is one of the oldest "new" venues in the SEC and it is still a great venue for college basketball. Until UK built Rupp the gym in Nashville was the largest in the SEC. For those who have not actually been to Rupp there are reasons why it is the best that may not be noticed by the younger folks on this board. If you have never been there or do not actually follow live basketball sit down and listen to some facts

#1 UK is the biggest and loudest venue in the SEC and I have been to BWA and TB. I am also old enough to have attended games in Stokley and Barnhill and both were better places to watch a game than the current venues.

#2 UK is old enough to not be ADA compliant which means the fans are close to the court and the worst seats in Rupp are better than the worst seats in other big venues. Look in terms of modern venues YUM is a great place to watch a game but it will never get louder than Rupp has been in the past. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) means all modern venues are much less steep so Row 10 in an ADA venue is like being on Row 5 in Rupp. This is most obvious when you get past the first 20 to 40 rows.

#3 UK is new enough to be big but old enough not to have 1 corporate suite or any luxury box. While corporate boxes have become status and used to conduct deals they do not have loud fans or ones that are actually fully engaged in the game. While I think BWA and TB are fine facilities, having corporate seats dulls the ardor of the fans. I have been in both facilities and viewed this first hand. New and Luxury do not mean great facilities or viewing experience.

#4 UK has facilities as part of the complete package and most are not open to the public which means a school should be viewed in totality and not just a building when you say "facilities" as it is the collective not the singular. Between Craft Center, Coal Lodge, and the facilities under Rupp (and the original Memorial) I have yet to see any facilities in the SEC that even approach UK basketball.