Historic Memorial Coliseum
Home of Kentucky Women's Basketball, STUNT, Volleyball and Gymnastics
201 Avenue of Champions Lexington, KY 40506
- 2025, the year the $82 million renovation project was completed, marked the 75th anniversary of the facility opening in 1950.
- The formal opening was May 30, 1950.
- The Grand Re-Opening was April 26, 2025.
- Historic Memorial Coliseum continues to pay tribute to and honors more than 9,000 servicemen and women who died in World War II and also honors those who have fallen in the Korean War, Vietnam War and subsequent military service.
- Among the Kentuckians who died in World War II were 344 University of Kentucky students, faculty and staff, 25 of whom were student-athletes.
- The recently completed renovation project included an outdoor memorial on Euclid Avenue and interactive display inside the main entrance.
- The $82 million Historic Memorial Coliseum renovation project constituted the biggest investment in women’s sports facilities in school history.
- The project ensures the Kentucky Women’s Basketball, Volleyball, Gymnastics and STUNT Teams call home a state-of-the-art facility that honors Kentucky’s historic past.
- Situated along Euclid Avenue on the University of Kentucky campus, Historic Memorial Coliseum was completed in 1950 at a cost of approximately $4 million. The original capacity was 12,000 for basketball games and 15,000 for programs utilizing seating on the “playing floor.”
- In 1990, a $1 million renovation project added a state-of-the-art weight training facility, new basketball and athletics administration offices, players’ lounges, and a team meeting room.
- As a result of the renovation, the seating capacity was reduced from 11,500 to 8,500.
- The building also houses UK’s Center for Academic and Tutorial Services (CATS), a $2.4 million facility which opened in 1998.
- Further enhancements were made to the Coliseum when a new video board and scoreboard were installed in 2007 and a sound system was added in 2008.
- The Kentucky Men’s Basketball team played in the arena from 1950-1976.
- A historical marker honoring legendary Head Coach Adolph Rupp – who led the Wildcats in Historic Memorial Coliseum from its opening 1950 until his retirement in 1972 – stands outside the facility on Avenue of Champions.
Championship Seasons in Historic Memorial Coliseum
National Championships (3)
- Men’s Basketball: 1951, 1958
- Volleyball: 2020
SEC Championships (33)
- Men’s Basketball: (17) 1950, 1951, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975
- Volleyball: (13) 1979, 1980, 1983, 1987, 1988, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
- Wrestling: (1) 1976, 1977
- Women’s Basketball: (2) 1982, 2012
From professional tennis exhibitions featuring the likes of Jim Courier and John McEnroe to the annual commencement ceremonies, Historic Memorial Coliseum has played host to just about every type of event imaginable.
Women’s Basketball at Memorial Coliseum
Memorial Coliseum is the home of one of the richest basketball traditions in the nation. It is also home to the University of Kentucky women’s basketball team, a team that has returned glory and excitement to a facility that has known a wealth of both.
For 25 years, the historic coliseum housed the renowned Kentucky Wildcats men’s team, which won two national championships and 16 Southeastern Conference titles while playing in the facility under the direction of legendary coaches Adolph Rupp and Joe B. Hall. When the Wildcats moved downtown to 23,000-seat Rupp Arena in 1976, the then-11,500 seat Coliseum became the exclusive basketball home for the women’s team. Although the Coliseum is nicknamed “the house that Rupp built,” University President H.L. Donovan is credited with beginning the plans for the Coliseum’s construction in 1941 when he recommended a building that would “properly take care of our athletics, our health services, our physical education and our recreation.”
A new state-of-the-art floor was installed in the summer of 2007, as the original 52-year-old floor was taken out in place of a playing surface that will be much more friendly to each athlete’s tendencies and will cut down on injuries. A new sound system and speaker cluster were added in the summer of 2008.
Volleyball at Memorial Coliseum
In a continuing effort to ensure that UK student-athletes are competing at a first-class level, the volleyball facilities at Memorial Coliseum have undergone a facelift. The volleyball squad moved into a state-of-the-art locker room in the location of the former men’s basketball locker room, which overlooks the playing court. The spacious facilities are in addition to the new offices for coaches and volleyball staff that will make Memorial Coliseum second-to-none.
Kentucky is one of only four schools in the Southeastern Conference (Arkansas, Florida and LSU being the others) to compete in its school’s main athletics arena. The expansion has also made Memorial Coliseum the exclusive practice home of the volleyball squad as well. With the construction of the Joe Craft Center, which features practice courts for the men’s and women’s basketball teams, the volleyball squad doesn’t share practice time with basketball. The UK volleyball team plays all of its home matches at the Coliseum, the home of the program since it came into existence in 1977. The Wildcats have compiled a 279-128 record, good for a .686 winning percentage in 30 seasons of play in the facility. The Coliseum provides a tremendous home-court advantage for the Wildcats, who went a remarkable 13-2 at home in 2006. It was Kentucky’s best home mark since the 1993 season.
Since Skinner’s arrival prior to the start of the 2005 season, attendance at Memorial Coliseum has skyrocketed.
“When our fans come one, they’re going to want to come again,” UK Coach Craig Skinner said. “We put an exciting team out on the floor that plays with a lot of passion and enthusiasm. I think when kids come to watch our team play, they are going to walk away wanting to be a part of it.”
The Coliseum has played host to first- and second-round NCAA volleyball action as well as regional matches and the 1983 NCAA Volleyball Final Four.
Gymnastics at Memorial Coliseum
Historic Memorial Coliseum is the site for all University of Kentucky home gymnastics meets. A renovation was completed in 1990 including a new gymnastics state-of-the-art locker room overlooking the Memorial Coliseum floor, and a new team room, exclusively for the gymnastics team, featuring room to meet, study or relax. Also brand new offices for the Kentucky gymnastics coaches overlooking the Memorial Coliseum floor were built.
The Coliseum has been the site of numerous events, including NCAA Volleyball Tournament action and the NCAA Volleyball Final Four in 1983. Also held in the Coliseum have been first-round NCAA women’s basketball games, NCAA gymnastics regionals, and in 1991, the SEC Gymnastics Championship. It was also recently named the host site for the 2010 NCAA Central Regional Championships. Many other community and University activities also take place there.
In addition to serving as home of the Kentucky gymnastics team, the Coliseum is also the home of UK’s volleyball, women’s basketball and STUNT teams. For 24 seasons, prior to the opening of downtown’s 23,000-seat Rupp Arena, the Coliseum housed the Wildcats men’s basketball team.
A spacious training room located in the Coliseum is utilized by the gymnastics team. The Wildcats receive top treatment from the training staff. At least one trainer travels with the team to provide special care for the athletes.
STUNT at Memorial Coliseum
Beginning in 2022, the Kentucky STUNT team began calling Memorial Coliseum home. Kentucky hosted its first home STUNT game on March 12, 2022. That game proved to be a 17-9 win over Ashland University, and was the first win in UK program history.
Kentucky would host STUNT games in Memorial Coliseum in 2023 before moving home games to Transylvania University in 2024, as Memorial underwent renovations. In 2025, the Cats returned to Historic Memorial Coliseum, hosting three tournaments (Bluegrass Classic, Midwest Showdown and Mid America West Conference Tournament) inside the renovated facility.
Despite being such a new program, Kentucky STUNT had much early success, finishing at national runner-up in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
