My last trip to Rupp Arena was on February 1, 2025. Kentucky lost to Arkansas that night by ten, 89-79, but to everyone inside, it felt like more. John Calipari got the last laugh in his return to Rupp Arena — and handled it gracefully — but it was a tough pill to swallow for the 21,266 fans who packed the building and made the pregame atmosphere one of the most memorable in my many decades of attending and covering games.
I haven’t made the drive up to Lexington for a basketball game since — although I was with the Cats throughout the postseason, following them to Indianapolis for the Sweet 16.