February
10, 2003
Devils to Play in Historic Rupp Arena
 Lexington,
KY - Duke will take on the University of Kentucky in historic
Rupp Arena on Sunday, February 16th, at 4:00 pm. It will be
Duke's second game of the season in a professional venue. On
October 19th, the Devils played Georgia Tech in Atlanta's
Philips
Arena (home the NBA's Hawks
and the NHL's Thrashers).
Duke will play a third game in a professional venue if the team
advances to the finals of the ACCHL Tournament at the end of
the season. The final will take place at the RBC
Center (home of the Carolina
Hurricanes) on February 23rd.
The University of Kentucky is known for perhaps the best
fan support in all of club hockey. Capacity crowds of over
600 fans routinely pack their home games at the Lexington
Ice Center. By moving to a bigger and more prestigious venue,
Kentucky Hockey projects crowds of up to 7,500 for the game
in Rupp Arena. A large crowd is also expected due to the athletic
rivalry between Duke and Kentucky stemming from the success
of the basketball programs at both schools.
 Rupp
Arena is situated in downtown Lexington, and the facility
is one of the most famous arenas in America. The venue hosts
numerous marquee basketball events every season, along with
concerts, minor league hockey games and other events. For
example, the facility has hosted the NCAA Men's and Women's
Final Four, the Men's SEC Conference Basketball Tournament,
and numerous NCAA Tournament regional games. In addition,
Rupp Arena is home to the perennially strong University of
Kentucky Basketball Team. The picture above depicts Rupp Arena
before the fans arrive for a Kentucky basketball game.
 Duke
and Kentucky can play a hockey game in Rupp because the arena
underwent a $2.5 million renovation during the summer of 1996
to accomodate minor league hockey. The team is the current
home of the ECHL's
Lexington Men of War after hosting the AHL's Kentucky
Thoroughblades for several years. The picture to the right
shows Rupp being prepared for a hockey game.
Built by the city of Lexington, Rupp Arena is the major portion
of the $53 million Lexington Center complex, which includes
a convention-exhibition hall, a 50-store tri-level enclosed
shopping mall, and a Hyatt Regency Hotel. The arena's amentities
include four 35 foot by 4 foot custom-made scoreboards, a
specially designed sound system nicknamed "Big Bertha,"
and custom lighting for all types of sporting events and television
coverage. The arena holds 23,500 people for basketball and
around 7,500 for hockey.
Despite numerous thrilling Duke-Kentucky basketball games,
the schools have never met in hockey. Says Duke's Jesse
Swanko about the game, "Rupp Arena is one of
the most prestigious arenas in the country, and Kentucky's
fans are supportive and dedicated. We really couldn't end
the regular season in a more exciting way."
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