LEXINGTON, Ky. — Wildcat fans are invited to the grand reopening of the Historic Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, April 26 at the University of Kentucky campus.
The celebrations will kick off with an outdoor event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., featuring food trucks, local vendors, activities and a display of military vehicles. The formal grand reopening inside the arena will be held from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Doors open at noon, and tickets are free.
UK Athletics said the reopening ceremony will feature speakers from the university, special military guests, a ribbon-cutting ceremony and performances from the 202nd Army Band of the Kentucky National Guard.
Free parking will be available in the lots and garages surrounding the coliseum, including Cornerstone Garage (Parking Structure No. 5) and in the Alumni Center, Career Center, Linden Center and Student Center lots. A free shuttle will run from Cornerstone Garage, which attendees can access after walking across the skybridge from the garage. The skybridge is accessible from the garage's third level.
The university's Clear Bag Policy will be in effect.
Kentucky Women's Basketball, Volleyball, Gymnastics and STUNT teams called the arena home for the 2024-25 season, with Women's Basketball and Volleyball hosting NCAA Tournament games. It recently went through an $82 million renovation project, which UK Athletics said was the biggest investment in women's sports facilities in school history. The coliseum's sound system, scoreboards, lighting, bathrooms and HVAC system were all upgraded.
2025 marks the 75th anniversary of the facility's opening in 1950. Kentucky Men's Basketball called the arena home from 1950 through 1976 before the opening of Rupp Arena.
Connor Smith - Digital Producer
Connor Smith is a digital producer for Spectrum News 1 in Louisville, Kentucky. He joined the team in November 2023 and hails from the Chicago area. In summer 2023, he received his Master of Science in Journalism from Northwestern's Medill School in Chicago, where he covered Super Bowl LVII, the Chicago Marathon and other stories around the city.