During the 2023-24 season, Rupp Arena became the home of Kentucky volleyball, STUNT, gymnastics and women’s basketball as the university announced its $82-million renovation project of Memorial Coliseum.
While the opportunity to play in a facility like Rupp seemed like a fantastic solution to a temporary problem, the Cats’ new “home court” hardly provided any kind of home court advantage.
The results for Kentucky women’s basketball became clear: the team had absolutely no luck inside Rupp.

A lack of facility familiarity and low fan attendance was added to a long list of factors contributing to the program’s already struggling team.
While construction began on Avenue of Champions, the Wildcats reached a deadlock and eventually ended the season with one of their worst records since the early 2000s.
After a brutal season, they concluded their year-long season at Rupp with an underwhelming 12-20 record. Although they concluded their season with an even record while playing at home (6-6), only three wins were against “Power Five” schools.
Kentucky finished 12th in the SEC with a 4-12 record. While playing at Rupp Arena, the Wildcats concluded the eight contests with only three wins, all winning with a point differential of 10 or less.
Through their first ten home games played at Rupp Arena in the 2023-24 season, the Wildcats pulled in an average of 3,057 fans. Their most attended matchup was against Florida, with a total crowd of 4,692.
Following a disappointing season, the now Historic Memorial Coliseum wasn’t the only thing under construction. The program brought in a new head coach, who was building a team determined to turn over a new leaf.
With the arrival of new Head Coach Kenny Brooks, the energy within the Big Blue Nation began to shift. His leadership brought a renewed sense of hope and it seemed the program was on the brink of a historic turnaround.
Cassidy Rowe, one of the only two players left on the roster from the previous season, also felt the new energy.
“I’m so excited,” she said. “I had the opportunity to play freshman year in Memorial, so to see how it looked before and get to play in the newly renovated facility is gonna be a lot of fun.”
Rowe was right. The team would, in fact, be having a lot of fun, and, for the first time in program history, Kentucky fans sold out reserve seating at home.
A year after the program was at its lowest, Kentucky has now averaged 4,516 fans through its first ten games. It had already broken last year’s attendance record against rival Louisville when 6,117 fans filled the stands.
“You know, I think we’ve had early games, and the crowds are trickling in, but tonight it was, it was loud, and they brought great energy,” Coach Brooks said following the overtime win against the Cardinals. “You know, it’s what was advertised to me, that Big Blue Nation was, and I think it was great that it came tonight.”

It has been two months since the Cats pulled off their historic upset, and they have continued with an undefeated home season, already taking down two SEC opponents inside HMC.
With that in mind, their biggest test will come in late February, when Kentucky will play two ranked teams back-to-back at home, facing No. 5 LSU — which just lost its first game of the season to South Carolina — on Feb. 23 and hosting No. 17 Tennessee on the 27th.
The challenging stretch raises the age-old debate in sports: how much of an advantage does playing on a home court offer?
That question may never have a definitive answer, but with an undefeated home record and packed stands during nearly every home matchup following a season with little to no success, Kentucky women’s basketball seems to have found an answer within itself.
Having a home court matters a lot, and what was the biggest investment in women’s sports facilities in school history could lead to a successful season and an even brighter future for the once-defeated Kentucky women’s basketball program.
The Wildcats will return to Historic Memorial Coliseum on Sunday, Jan. 26, to face off against the Arkansas Razorbacks at noon ET. The contest will air live on the SEC Network.
Jan Goldstein • Jan 26, 2025 at 1:02 pm
Great article and great insight in the building and growth of the Lady Wildcats program.
Barbara Lif • Jan 25, 2025 at 3:55 pm
Excellent article. Very informative.
addie clark • Jan 25, 2025 at 12:37 pm
very insightful. I love this article!