Got to Stand at Midcourt of Memorial

[rydd14]

I'm so excited, I'm sharing this with everyone:

I went on a campus visit today at UK with a friend of mine and his parents. After the tour was over, we walked over to Memorial Coliseum and took a few pictures of the outside. We went up to the front door just to see if we could get in. No luck. I walked around to the side and there was a door that was unlocked. We went in, walked around and somehow was spit out right onto the court. Oh my god, what an experience. I was feeling chills thinking about all the greatness that has walked on that court.

We took some pictures and once I get them I'll post them. It was pretty dark so I hope they turned out okay.

[84Cat]

I'm so excited, I'm sharing this with everyone:

I went on a campus visit today at UK with a friend of mine and his parents. After the tour was over, we walked over to Memorial Coliseum and took a few pictures of the outside. We went up to the front door just to see if we could get in. No luck. I walked around to the side and there was a door that was unlocked. We went in, walked around and somehow was spit out right onto the court. Oh my god, what an experience. I was feeling chills thinking about all the greatness that has walked on that court.

We took some pictures and once I get them I'll post them. It was pretty dark so I hope they turned out okay.

Please post your pictures! I used to walk on that court frequently during my college days and was always in awe. Thanks for sharing your experience, it brought back memories for me!

[rydd14]

I gotta talk to my friend and get him to email me the pictures but I definitely will post them.

My friend went up in the stands. I was like "everyone gets to sit there, I wanna be on the court." What a phenomenal experience. I was only in there for about 15 minutes and all I did was stand there but this goes down as one of the greater experiences.

[dougwhit]

i did the same thing at riverfront stadium. i walked around the infield, outfield and sat on every inch of the home and away bench. a lot of hall of famers on that field

[Brandon]

As a student I've gotten to step foot on Memorial's court several times over the last couple years for lotteries and other events, and it's amazing the sense of history you get when you're in there. It's pretty awesome. :)

[rydd14]

i did the same thing at riverfront stadium. i walked around the infield, outfield and sat on every inch of the home and away bench. a lot of hall of famers on that field

Yeah there are. A few of my idols.

I got to run the bases there once. Stood in this huge line and my Dad told me it was the line for the bathroom. Boy was I surprised.

[rydd14]

As a student I've gotten to step foot on Memorial's court several times over the last couple years for lotteries and other events, and it's amazing the sense of history you get when you're in there. It's pretty awesome. :)

See, to me, you're a very very lucky person. I'm looking to be a student there come fall of 2009. I'll take advantage of as many of those opportunities as possible.

[cardsnolesfan]

I actually played on that floor the summer after my 8th grade year. Attended Pitino's camp and we played some of the tournament games there. Pretty cool playing on a court that had that many seats and that much history. Granted, the seats were empty, but still pretty cool. I remember Pitino had us all sit on the court and was talking to us. One guy decided he didn't want to sit down so he remained standing. Pitino lit into him pretty good. He wasn't even yelling at me, but it still scared the crap out of me!

[Wildcat Larry]

Back in the '70s when I was between two real jobs, I was working in the UK Physical Plant Department being essentially a gopher for some folks, but during lunch a couple of days a week we would go over to Memorial Coliseum and play some pickup basketball games. You had to be an employee to be in there at that time and it was pretty cool. A few times Cliff Hagan came out and played with us. The guy was old (by my definition of old at the time), but he was amazing. He still had that little baseline hook that nobody could come close to stopping. And he could pass that ball like crazy, too. When I was on his team, we would get about 16 points ahead in a game to 24 and then he would pass the ball around to non-athletic players like me to try and get a shot. I was even less effective out there than Mark Courey, but the experience of playing with a former All-American and NBA Allstar was some cool stuff. And playing out there where Rupp's Runts, my favorite team of all time, played was just a feeling of reverance. It's definitely a 10 on the emotional scale. The memory just brings on the goosebumps.

[DRCATFAN]

While I was attending UK, I had a friend who was an assistant (water boy). He was able to get us in Memorial. I've played several pick-up games there and toured the practice facility (old one) that included the weight room, room to watch tape, locker room, etc.

It is a pretty cool place.

[rydd14]

It's cool to hear these stories. Very awesome experiences.

Is there any way to be able to tour the new practice facility or is it just completely off limits to the public?

[wildcatsundance]

It was kinda sad when they tore the old floor out this past summer.. The new one is beautiful though. :thumbup:

[rydd14]

It was kinda sad when they tore the old floor out this past summer.. The new one is beautiful though. :thumbup:

I remember hearing about that and then wishing that I would've know sooner so I could have tried to grab a piece.

[wildcatsundance]

Me to... I live here, and didn't get off of my butt and go get a piece.. They sat a big dumpster up on the side street for anyone share the history..

[Classof93]

When I was about 10 years old my dad went up to UK to pay for his season tickets and we were in the athletic department in Memorial. Anyway, the guy asked me if I wanted to go on to the floor of the coliseum. Well, duh. So he took me out there and showed me the banners and showed me where Hatton made the big shot against Nova. Well, needless to say I was hooked. I had always been a UK fan but it was because my dad was a fan and we had basketball and football tickets. But my fandom became personal from that point on.

Went to UK for 4.5 years and never missed a home game. As a student, I had a couple of opportunities to play in Memorial and played several times in Alumni gym. You REALLY feel like your playing with ghosts when you play in Alumni. That is where UK basketball was born. Home of the '48 national champs and Olympic champions.

[matt colvin]

Me to... I live here, and didn't get off of my butt and go get a piece.. They sat a big dumpster up on the side street for anyone share the history..


Yes they did, :thumbdn:. Luckily I heard about it here, and drove over there. I was able to get a few armfuls.

[wildcatsundance]

Yes they did, :thumbdn:. Luckily I heard about it here, and drove over there. I was able to get a few armfuls.

I was surprised that Mitch didn't market it for $100.00 a board... :eek:

[rydd14]

When I was about 10 years old my dad went up to UK to pay for his season tickets and we were in the athletic department in Memorial. Anyway, the guy asked me if I wanted to go on to the floor of the coliseum. Well, duh. So he took me out there and showed me the banners and showed me where Hatton made the big shot against Nova. Well, needless to say I was hooked. I had always been a UK fan but it was because my dad was a fan and we had basketball and football tickets. But my fandom became personal from that point on.

Went to UK for 4.5 years and never missed a home game. As a student, I had a couple of opportunities to play in Memorial and played several times in Alumni gym. You REALLY feel like your playing with ghosts when you play in Alumni. That is where UK basketball was born. Home of the '48 national champs and Olympic champions.

I just stood there in Memorial and felt like there was something (someone) else there.

[rydd14]

I was surprised that Mitch didn't market it for $100.00 a board... :eek:

Really. They did it when the floor at Rupp was replaced.

[matt colvin]

I was surprised that Mitch didn't market it for $100.00 a board... :eek:

The claim was that they wouldn't make any money due to the extra cost of having to carefully pull it apart and package it (or whatever they would have ended up doing). But it was pretty wasteful to do what they did, imo.