Memorial Coliseum To Get Renovations

At long last, Memorial Coliseum will be receiving renovations.

As the story was broken by one of our own at Cats Coverage, it is exciting to see the school checking off something on their to-do list that has been on there for quite sometime.

The 72-year-old home of the UK women’s basketball team, gymnastics, STUNT and volleyball team has been in need of an overhaul. The stadium, lacking air conditioning, had been a focal point of late, as other facilities around campus had been upgraded.

Athletic director Mitch Barnhart told the Lexington Herald-Leader that he expects the teams using the coliseum will find a temporary home for the 2023-24 year. “We think we’ll be out of (Memorial Coliseum) for one competitive year,” Barnhart said. “That’s what we think. We’re trying to finalize those plans. We’ve got a whole crew of people trying to figure out how that all comes together. It’s complicated.” In August, Barnhart held a press conference detailing the plans for renovation.

The coliseum will now have air conditioning, new seating, and the construction of an event space.

It will be interesting to see where Kyra Elzy’s team will be playing next year. A move to Rupp Arena could be in play, but Barnhart said an update will come in the future regarding that subject. For now, Wildcat fans can finally celebrate that its old home is getting a makeover.