Rupp Arena in downtown Lexington has already been the site of many memorable moments in men’s NCAA Tournament history, and this week will add to that legacy.
Since opening in November 1976, Rupp has hosted March Madness games 13 times. This marks the fifth occasion it has been a venue for the first and second rounds, previously serving as a host for the round of 64 and round of 32 in 1994, 1998, 2007, and 2013.
(Notably, Kentucky is not permitted to play in these games.)
Beyond the early rounds, Rupp has been the stage for seven regional matchups—in 1977, 1980, 1984, 1989, 1992, 1996, and 2002—as well as the 1985 Final Four.
With the NCAA Tournament returning to Rupp for the first time in 12 years, it’s a fitting moment to reflect on some of the most iconic postseason moments that have unfolded in Central Kentucky. While capturing the full scope of its March Madness history is impossible, these six games offer a glimpse into some of the most unforgettable tournament moments at Rupp Arena.
Villanova beats Georgetown in ‘The Perfect Game’ for 1985 NCAA title
Result: No. 8 seed Villanova upsets No. 1 seed Georgetown, 66-64.
Date: April 1, 1985
Round: National Championship Game
Significance: The only time Rupp Arena hosted a men’s Final Four resulted in one of the most shocking upsets in NCAA Tournament history.
Dubbed “The Perfect Game,” Villanova secured its first national title and remains the lowest seed (No. 8) ever to win the championship. This tournament marked the first year of the expanded 64-team format and the final year without a shot clock.
That season, the Big East Conference dominated the Final Four, with three of the four teams—Georgetown, St. John’s, and Villanova—representing the league.
Despite being 9.5-point underdogs, the Wildcats stunned the heavily favored Hoyas behind standout performances from Dwayne McClain (17 points) and Ed Pinckney (16 points, six rebounds, five assists). Pinckney was named the tournament’s most outstanding player.
Georgetown’s star, Patrick Ewing, faced relentless double teams from Villanova’s defense and finished with 14 points and five rebounds in his final college game. The Hoyas, who had reached the national championship three times in Ewing’s four seasons, had only won the title in 1984.
Heading into the game, Georgetown boasted a dominant 35-2 record, while Villanova stood at 24-10. The key to Villanova’s upset was its near-flawless shooting performance—hitting 22 of 28 field goals (78.6%) and converting 22 of 27 free throws (81.5%).
Just two days after this historic game, the NCAA approved the implementation of a 45-second shot clock for the following season.
In 1977, Rupp Arena hosts its first NCAA Tournament games
Rupp Arena Hosts Its First NCAA Tournament Games in 1977
Result: Michigan defeats Detroit, 86-81.
Date: March 17, 1977
Round: Mideast Regional Semifinal
Significance: Just months after opening on Nov. 27, 1976—when Kentucky marked the occasion with a 72-64 victory over Wisconsin in front of 23,266 fans—Rupp Arena was already selected as an NCAA Tournament venue. That year, it hosted the Mideast Regional semifinals and finals.
The most memorable of the three games was Michigan’s thrilling semifinal win over Detroit, led by the legendary coach and broadcaster Dick Vitale.
Michigan’s John Robinson scored 25 points, while Phil Hubbard delivered a dominant performance with 22 points and an astonishing 26 rebounds. To put that into perspective, the Rupp Arena record for rebounds by a Kentucky player is 28, set by Oscar Tshiebwe in a December 2021 win over Western Kentucky.
Despite Michigan’s victory in this matchup, Charlotte went on to defeat the Wolverines in the Mideast Regional final in Lexington, securing a spot in the 1977 Final Four in Atlanta.
Future UK basketball coach Billy Gillispie beats Louisville in Rupp
Texas A&M Edges Louisville to Reach Sweet 16
Result: No. 3 seed Texas A&M defeats No. 6 seed Louisville, 72-69.
Date: March 17, 2007
Round: South Regional Second Round
Significance: Would Kentucky basketball history have unfolded the same way if Billy Gillispie’s Texas A&M team had lost this game? Maybe, maybe not.
One thing is certain—before being hired by Kentucky in April 2007, Gillispie had a recent victory over UK’s biggest rival at Rupp Arena to bolster his résumé.
In a game played before a heavily pro-Louisville crowd, the Aggies were led by Acie Law’s 26 points and Dominique Kirk’s 21 in a thrilling win over Rick Pitino’s Cardinals. Louisville’s Edgar Sosa put up a remarkable 31 points but fell just short in the end.
Free throws played a crucial role, as both teams combined for 70 attempts. The defining moment came in the final seconds when Sosa—who had made 15 consecutive free throws—missed two critical shots with 29.8 seconds remaining and Louisville trailing by one.
The victory sent Texas A&M to its first Sweet 16 in 27 years. After three seasons with the Aggies, Gillispie left for Kentucky but lasted just two seasons before being fired.
Duke beats Kentucky at Rupp Arena in 1980 NCAA Tournament
Duke Stuns Kentucky in Rupp Arena Heartbreaker
Result: No. 4 seed Duke defeats No. 1 seed Kentucky, 55-54.
Date: March 13, 1980
Round: Mideast Regional Semifinal
Significance: Three years after Lexington first hosted NCAA Tournament games in 1977, Rupp Arena was once again a regional site. However, this time, Kentucky fans were left with a painful memory as the top-seeded Wildcats were upset by No. 4 seed Duke in their home arena.
Joe B. Hall’s Wildcats entered the game with a 29-5 record, led by senior Kyle Macy (15.4 PPG) and freshman Sam Bowie (12.9 PPG). Kentucky had enjoyed two lengthy winning streaks during the season—one of 11 games and another of 12—but their tournament run ended abruptly against Bill Foster’s Blue Devils. The following season, Mike Krzyzewski would take over as Duke’s head coach.
Trailing by 14 at halftime, Kentucky struggled offensively, with Macy and Bowie combining for just eight points. Bowie, plagued by foul trouble, played only nine minutes before fouling out. Fred Cowan shouldered the scoring burden for UK, finishing with 26 points—the only Wildcat to reach double figures. He also scored Kentucky’s final 15 points of the game.
Duke’s Gene Banks sealed the win with a game-winning free throw with 22 seconds remaining. Kentucky had a final chance, but Macy’s potential game-winner missed with four seconds left.
Duke’s tournament run ended in the Mideast Regional final at Rupp Arena, where they fell to Purdue, which had defeated Indiana in the other regional semifinal. That year, Louisville went on to capture its first NCAA championship.
Louisville begins run to 2013 NCAA championship with Rupp blowouts
Score: 1 seed Louisville defeats 8 seed Colorado State 82-56.
Date: March 23, 2013.
Round: Midwest Regional second-round game.
Notable: Louisville’s run to its since-vacated 2013 national championship began in Lexington. And it began in dominant fashion.
The Cardinals were the top overall seed for the 2013 NCAA Tournament and played like it: A 1 seed in the Midwest Regional, U of L thumped both of its opponents in first- and second-round action at Rupp Arena.
This included a 79-48 shellacking of 16 seed North Carolina A&T in the round of 64 and an 82-56 pummeling of 8 seed Colorado State in the round of 32.
Four Louisville players scored in double figures against the Rams, led by Russ Smith’s 27 points.
That year’s run of NCAA Tournament games in Rupp Arena — which marked the most recent time that men’s March Madness was played in Lexington, until this week — also featured a buzzer-beating win for 3 seed Marquette over 14 seed Davidson. Vander Blue hit a layup with one second left to give the Golden Eagles a 59-58 win.
One year after the Dream Game, Kentucky beats U of L in Rupp Arena
Score: 1 seed Kentucky defeats 5 seed Louisville 72-67.
Date: March 22, 1984.
Round: Mideast Regional semifinal.
Notable: In 1983, the Dream Game captured the imagination of the commonwealth and restored the UK-U of L basketball rivalry.
The Cardinals came out on top in that Elite Eight matchup in Knxoville, Tennessee. But the very next year, the two schools met again in March Madness in Lexington. This time, Kentucky emerged the victors.
Down four points at halftime, the Cats rallied to outscore the Cardinals by nine points in the second period. A balanced scoring effort for Joe B. Hall’s Wildcats featured 15 points each from Dickey Beal and Jim Master, along with 14 points from Melvin Turpin and 10 from Winston Bennett. Sam Bowie grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked three shots as part of UK’s Twin Towers lineup with Turpin.
Louisville got 25 points from Lancaster Gordon in his final college game, as well as 22 points from Milt Wagner.
Backed by Big Blue support, Kentucky went on to beat 2 seed Illinois in the Mideast Regional finals in Rupp to advance to the Final Four in Seattle. UK lost by 13 points in the national semifinal to Georgetown, one year before the Hoyas made it to the NCAA title game again in Rupp.
UK also beat Louisville 65-44 during the 1983-84 regular season in Rupp.
In January 2024, Kentucky honored its 1984 Final Four team during a home win over Georgia, a game which also featured the home debut of ex-Cat Zvonimir Ivisic.
Honorable mention
▪ 6 seed Michigan defeats 1 seed Ohio State 75-71 in overtime in the 1992 Southeast Regional finals.
▪ 3 seed Michigan defeats 2 seed North Carolina 92-87 in a 1989 Southeast Regional semifinal.
▪ 5 seed Indiana defeats 1 seed Duke 74-73 in a 2002 South Regional semifinal.
▪ 10 seed Kent State defeats 3 seed Pittsburgh 78-73 in overtime in a 2002 South Regional semifinal.
