10 Alternate Venues For A Kentucky Basketball Game

College Basketball will step outside its traditional arena setup for this year’s “Brew City Battle,” a men’s and women’s doubleheader at the Milwaukee Brewers’ home baseball stadium. The University of Wisconsin will play in both games at American Family Field; first against Kansas State in a women’s game followed by a men’s game versus Stanford. The Veteran’s Day event will be the first college basketball games played in a true baseball stadium since 2015 when San Diego and San Diego State played at the Padres’ Petco Park.

One other non-traditional venue we could see on next year’s schedule, Gonzaga and Michigan State are reportedly kicking around the idea of one-upping the Brew City Battle by playing a Veteran’s Day game on an aircraft carrier in San Diego. San Diego’s USS Midway was the site of a game between Syracuse and San Diego State in 2012.

Here in Kentucky, Big Blue Nation wants better games in Rupp Arena (and for Calipari to reconsider his stance on the Maui Invitational), not games in parks or on boats. But the upcoming MLB stadium and aircraft carrier games got me wondering where Kentucky Basketball could play in a unique atmosphere if it ever considered such an event.

If we limit the search to venues within the state, I think these 10 places throughout the Bluegrass are the best alternatives to host a Kentucky Basketball game:

Kroger Field

The first place that comes to mind is Kroger Field, the 60,000-seat home of Kentucky Football just a short drive through campus from Rupp Arena. The downside is football stadiums aren’t fit to be basketball venues, no matter how many times the NCAA tries to turn an NFL arena into one.

Kentucky Proud Park

One building over from Kroger Field, the university’s new Kentucky Proud Park could provide a more intimate setting for an on-campus alternative site. The Cats’ home baseball stadium holds only 5,000.

Keeneland

Let’s step further outside the box and into the infield of the Keeneland Race Course. Imagine a cold bourbon drink in your hand, the picturesque backdrop, and live Kentucky Basketball in front of you on Keeneland’s sacred grounds.

Start the game during the Bluegrass Stakes race and it’s a gambler’s dream.

Kentucky Castle

While we’re out scouting Versailles Road, why not the castle? King of College Basketball versus, I don’t know, Queens College or the Bellarmine Knights. Maybe honor Tayshaun Prince at halftime.

Fort Knox

The Gold Standard!

The Ark

Calipari could justify playing two bigs at the same time with a game at the Ark Encounter up in Williamstown, one of Kentucky’s most yeah-we-actually-have-that attractions.

Mammoth Cave

Another pride of Kentucky tourism, Mammoth Cave has plenty of space for a 94-foot floor considering it is the longest cave system known to the world. 3-point shooting might need some adjustments, and Jacob Toppin should wear a helmet, but otherwise I think it could work.

Dinosaur World

Directly above Mammoth Cave’s path, Cave City prides itself as the home of a real-life dinosaur park. No, the dinosaurs aren’t real-life because that is absurd, but there is a dinosaur park in real life in Cave City off I-65 in Barren County. You’ve seen the roadside T-Rex.

I will refrain from making a joke about Kentucky being comfortable playing in front of dinosaurs, but I thought about it for like a second.

Hillbilly Days

Some of the things you’ll see at Hillbilly Days are like seeing a dinosaur, but nothing draws a crowd like Pike County’s spring celebration of all things hillbilly. Besides, you can’t go from Pikeville to Paducah without going to Pikeville.

Natural Bridge State Park

Deep in the Daniel Boone National Forest, one of our state’s natural wonders would draw insane ratings if it hosted a college basketball game. What the Natural Bridge lacks in surface area and safety, it makes up for in scenery and its literal connection to the state. Court awareness would be tested and we’d need a big rebounding game from Oscar.

Let’s get some of yours.