Alumni Gymnasium (University of Kentucky)

Alumni Gymnasium opened in 1924 in what had been the site of a lake and swamp on the edge of the University of Kentucky campus.[2] The gymnasium cost $92,000 to construct and included seating for 2,800 people, which could accommodate the entire student body with seats left over. The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball played 271 games at Alumni Gymnasium from 1924 to 1950, going 247–24 (.911).[3] The first game held here was against the University of Cincinnati in which the Wildcats won with a final score of 28–23.[3] The arena has also been home to the University of Kentucky Club Basketball team, University of Kentucky Club Dodgeball team, and the UK Men's Club Volleyball team.[4]

As part of the UK Student Center Renovation and Expansion, Alumni Gym was renovated and now includes spaces for aerobics, strength training, spinning, fitness studios, and men's/women's lockers and showers.[4] During the renovation, the interior was gutted and the roof replaced, but the original exterior shell was maintained.[1] The updated gym consists of two levels of fitness and wellness equipment, with a structure with stadium-like screens at its center.[5] The fitness center was the first available to residents of the university's north campus for several decades; during the last few years before the reopening of Alumni Gym as such, UK had subsidized 500 student memberships at Lexington's downtown YMCA location.[1] In its new role, it relieved stress on the university's only previous student fitness facility, the Johnson Center on the south campus.[6]

The following are record high statistics for Alumni Gymnasium.[3]