LOOK: The Rupp Arena floor is ready for the 2020-21 season

With just 15 days remaining until the college basketball season tips off, the Rupp Arena floor is ready to host the Kentucky Wildcats.

UK head coach John Calipari shared a picture of Rupp this morning, updated with Central Bank Center signage on the floor and on the video board.

“The floor is down and ready for the season at [Rupp Arena] at the [Central Bank Center]!” Calipari said. “Thanks to my friend Luther Deaton and his team at [Central Bank] for their continued support of [Kentucky men’s basketball]. Can’t wait for you to see our team play on that floor!”

Central Bank purchased the naming rights to the Lexington Center adjacent to Rupp Arena back in January, officially changing the name of Kentucky basketball’s home to “Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center.”

“What this does is allow us to be a steward of this incredible overarching facility,” Barnhart said of the deal. “It allows us to be a steward of the Rupp name. It allows us to move forward in a way that keeps it iconic and keeps it at the front and center of all of the facilities and on the lips of all of the people that love college basketball. It allows us to be great stewards of an incredible, incredible place and move it forward. You’ve seen the construction that’s going on and what’s happening in this incredible facility and it’s only going to get better. We have won a bunch of basketball games in there and I’m looking forward to winning a lot more as well.

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“The name is tied to Coach Rupp and the Rupp family is so important for us, to protect that name and to make sure it is always remembered as the iconic place, family, name, leader of college basketball. Thank you for that. We intend to preserve that forever.”

Rupp Arena and the convention center are currently in the middle of a $275 million expansion to add more exhibit hall space, premium club areas for alcohol sales at UK basketball games, a new lobby, and a new glass and metal exterior for the historic venue.

Until that project is officially completed in the next year or so – the original plan was to finish by November 2021 – the first step of Rupp’s new look will be ready on Nov. 25 when Kentucky tips off the season against Morehead State.