How to celebrate the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament in the land of horse racing, bourbon, and legendary Wildcats basketball.
Lexington is a real hide jewel of a city , nestled in the centre of Kentucky . dwelling to the University of Kentucky and their illustrious basketball squad , it often gets overlooked in favor of its enceinte brother Louisville ( before Kentucky fans arrive for me , I do n’t have in mind in terms of sportswoman ! ) . While it ’s not as big as fellow first - beat hosts Denver , Cleveland , or Milwaukee , there ’s pot to see and do here . It ’s deep in the heart ofhorse racing and Bourbon dynasty country , and you do n’t have to look gruelling to recover a bucolic scene right out of a storybook , complete with indulgent rolling Benny Hill and thoroughbreds grazing in green lea .
Lexington has host March Madness 13 clock time over the year , admit the 1985 Final Four , the class a spunky underdog in Villanova completed a cinderella running to a title , knocking off mighty Georgetown in what is still considered one of the most disgraceful title game upsets in NCAA history . It ’s been a while since the metropolis has hosted the tournament , though ; it last came through Rupp Arena in 2013 . Here ’s your ready to hand guide to sail Lexington , Kentucky during your March Madness trip .
How do I get tickets?
There ’s no secret sauce so the expert style is to use the NCAA ’s official ticketing site , Ticketmaster . There are three sessions over the course of two days ; two on Thursday , March 20 , and one on Saturday , March 22 . The session on the 20th are in the good afternoon and in the eve , and each features two game on the schedule . you could get ticket for just one session for as little as $ 50 , or for all three sessions for as little as $ 455 .
If you ’re traveling to see your team you might be able-bodied to buy ticket from someone leaving the arena twenty-four hour period of — if someone gets knocked out too soon , or you obtain another grouping of sports fan who are only there to cheer on their favourite team . But be warned : Kentucky in general and Lexington in particular are basketball crazy ; the local anesthetic incline to show up and show out for tournament games , just to savor the spectacle , so it might be a number of a challenge . If you ’re looking to economize some money , insure sites likeStubhuborSeatGeekas they declare oneself salutary deals than Ticketmaster ’s resale internet site .
One of the overnice thing about Rupp Arena is that it is , first and foremost , a college basketball game locus , and for many , it ’s a pail list place to see a game . There really is n’t a uncollectible seat in the firm , but straight heap line are your admirer . If you want to get the best views of the whole court of justice , my recommendation is to sit along either spare-time activity . The upper ( section 212 - 215 and 230 - 23 , and prices are as down as $ 60 in 231 on Ticketmaster for one session ) or lower bowling ball ( 13 - 16 and 29 - 33 ) is the best elbow room to see all of the action . Be warned : those sideline seats are a live commodity , and in the lower bowl , you ’re going to compensate more , even for just one academic session .
Illustration by Don Caminos for Thrillist
rear along the service line are also fun and more affordable than sideline place in the scummy pipe bowl . section 21 - 24 and 38 - 41 can have some enceinte hand , and get you closer to the action mechanism for a cheaper Mary Leontyne Price ( I saw seats on Ticketmaster in section 39 for as little as $ 96 before fees ) . Oftentimes school ' student incision are located along the baselines , particularly in the corner , so you may find yourself in the thick of some truly raucous fans .
The upper bowl ' box are going to have the bad heap seam of any section , so avoid those if at all potential . Sections 218 , 219 , 225 , 227 , 235 , 236 , 242 , and 244 are the eminent - risk bum with the worst panorama .
How do I get there?
Lexington does have an airport , but it ’s minuscule and clearly regional . The farthest it goes with any consistence is Dallas - Fort Worth , butBlue Grassonly has around 20 - 25 flight coming in on a given daylight . luckily for you , Lexington is located smack dab between a pair of larger , more affordable aerodrome . BothLouisville ’s Muhammad Ali International Airport , andCincinnati / Northern Kentucky International Airportare around a 90 - minute drive from Lexington , and they ’re decease to be your good wager to get there . Cincinnati is a hub for Southwest Airlines and Frontier , and has flights from every major carrier come in each Clarence Shepard Day Jr. . Louisville is a piece little , but still gets Delta , American , United , and Southwest flights .
How do I get around?
The well-off way to get around Lexington is to pull a railcar as you ’ll likely be driving in from Cincinnati or Louisville after your flight . While Lexington does have a bus scheme , it ’s not terribly extensive , and it ’s problematic to get around without a gondola .
On game daytime , Rupp Arena blow that there are 10,000 parking spaces within a 10 - minute walk , but a less stressful pick to get to the stadium might be rideshare service like Lyft and Uber . There ’s a designated dropoff and pickup point for those services along the Main Street side of the construction . If you really do n’t need to drive to the game , Derby Dash Transportationis offering a $ 20 birdie to and from Rupp Arena from choose hotels on plot days .
What should I know about the venue?
Rupp Arenais an iconic locus , a must - visit destination for any college basketball game fan . Even if you hate theKentucky Wildcats , Rupp is one of those venues — like Kansas ' Allen Fieldhouse or Duke ’s Cameron Indoor — where you need to visit at least once . It is one of college basketball ’s most hallowed halls , and the history is tangible from the sentence you leave the concourse and enter the orbit right . Kentucky is among the most elect college hoops programs in the country , with a story of winner date even back beyond the chronicle of the NCAA tourney in 1939 . Rupp Arena is named for their fabled promontory coach , Adolph Rupp , who promote them into a interior power station in the thirties and ' forty . The banners that hang up from the rafters are a living basketball history , showing the recollective , long history of success in the Bluegrass state . 34 retired jersey number , eight national championship banners , and 17 Final Four banner really drive home just how much achiever the Wildcats have had over the years .
Rupp has been the Wildcats ' nursing home royal court since 1976 , and is beloved by Kentucky fan , who grow out in horde . wildcat well fans are some of the most knowledgeable and passionate in the sportsman , so expect the venue to get loud for all of the game hosted here .
For when you get hungry , you could mostly expect your traditional stadium transportation ; this is a college domain first and first off , and the choice are no - frills as a result . That ’s not to say there are n’t a few local options : I recommend Cincinnati Chili ( it ’s more like a sauce that ’s usually served on top of spaghetti or hot dogs along with mountains of cheeseflower ) and can be base in sections 17 - 18 . Other good pick include pulled pork barrel sandwiches fromCity BBQ(section 27 - 28 ) andTaylor Belle ’s gentle service ice rink cream(sections 15 - 16 , 20 - 21 , and 24 - 25 ) .
Basketball, brackets and betting
There are four games on the slating in Lexington on Thursday , and Rupp Arena was blessed with a IV of intriguing matchups . Here ’s what you take to recognise before you go .
Auburn vs. Alabama State or St. Francis : You’re not going to see a awfully close game here , in all likeliness . St. Francisis one of the few teams ever to make the tournament with a fall back disc , and 15 - lossAlabama Stateprobably wo n’t position a threat to Auburn . But , Bruce Pearl ’s Auburn teamis one of the country ’s best . Led by Johni Broome , one of the best instrumentalist in the country , this Tiger team is electric to catch .
Louisville vs. Creighton : PuttingLouisville in this metropolis for their first - daily round matchupfeels particularly brutal , given the longstanding competition between the Cardinals and Kentucky . The Cardinals will likely face up a uncongenial bunch and a tough test inCreighton . Expect a knockdown , drag - out contest here , as the Bluejays and Cardinals are pretty evenly matched , and both have incredibly fun offence when they ’re clicking .
Tennessee vs. Wofford : Much like Auburn and their opener , Tennessee does n’t forecast to be intemperately testedby the Wofford Terriers . But the Volunteers have one of the best United States Department of Defense in the state , and a pair of exciting players in Zakai Zeigler and Chaz Lanier . If you need to see a dominant squad show why it ’s so secure , do n’t miss the Vols here .
UCLA vs. Utah State : This promises to be a clash of very dissimilar styles of team . On one side , we have theUCLA Bruins , who rode a repress defensethrough a difficult first season in the Big 10 that saw headspring coach Mick Cronin call them " soft " at one point . On the other , theUtah State Utes , who have one of the best , most effective offenses in the state . If stylistic clashes are your mess , do n’t neglect this .
Other places to eat (and watch)
One of the perks of Rupp Arena is that it ’s located business district , which mean there are mess of places to take hold of a raciness and watch biz . If you ’re looking for somewhere near the sports stadium , Lexlivehas a diverseness of sport saloon selection that have wild transportation and a good survival of the fittest of crapulence . It ’s an entertainment center that include a movie dramaturgy , arcade , and bowl on top of their embarrassment of food option , and sit down the right way across the street from Rupp . Game Day Sports bar is the best pick if you ’re looking to keep watching hoops , and their wings are first-class . It can fulfill up quickly on game days , so be quick for a bit of a wait .
A fiddling further off , you have to check outKSBarif you ’re a sports devotee . It ’s a six - minute drive from Rupp Arena but it ’s the hub of all things Kentucky athletics . With short ton of massive television all over the place , tremendous intellectual nourishment , and a great extract of local beers , it ’s a must - visit if you ’re in townspeople for the game . Try the Shotgun nuptials brown ale or Nate ’s burnt umber stout from Country Boy Brewing , as both are perfectly leading . Kentucky Sports Radio does regular display from here and you might alsosee some former playersmaking appearances .
If you ’re unforced to drive a little ways from the arena , theDistillery Districthas a ton of fantastic food options . If watching the plot is on your to - do list , Burl Brewis a swell option . The barbacoa street tacos fromLucy’snext door are amazing and couple really well with a Burl amber . The Burl Harvest is a really unequaled beer ; you do n’t see a lot of Belgian table beers blow around , and this one is tasty .
Be warn : a lot of the food options there do n’t have a ton of television , so you ’ll want to verify you ’re uncoerced to take a break from the action ( or head there when the daylight ’s games are done ) .
Other must-dos
train outKeeneland , Lexington ’s horse cavalry track . While you ’ll escape the outset of the saltation meet , you’re able to schedule a enlistment to visit the historic reason as well as atailgating polish unlike any other on the weekends . Also , Lexington SCis a USL ( second - tier ) soccer club with both men ’s and women ’s teams . And both of them are playing the weekend the tournament is in town ; the military personnel host Indianapolis Eleven on Saturday , and the char host Carolina Ascent on Sunday .
Final tips
The weather in Lexington in March tends to be a small chaotic . While snow is still pretty rare in that part of the world , you could expect temperature in the 50s during the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. that might scoot closer to suspend at night . Rain is very , very potential , so do n’t forget an umbrella or raincoat of some kind .
