The Kentucky Wildcats Fans' Bucket List by Ryan Clark Joe Cox Tony Delk

Author:Ryan Clark, Joe Cox, Tony Delk
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-08-12T16:00:00+00:00

Play Some Pickup at Rupp Arena North

WHERE: Ted Arlinghaus’ place, Edgewood, Kentucky

WHEN: You should probably call ahead

COST FACTOR: No cost

DIFFICULTY FACTOR: If the Arlinghauses know you, you can play. Or if you’re in a league in northern Kentucky, you may have a shot, too.

BUCKET RANK: You do feel like you’re playing in Rupp Arena

HINTS FOR LITTLE WILDCATS/RELUCTANT WILDCATS: The little kids can play, too!

Ted Arlinghaus has a Big Blue backyard.

Or, to put it another way, he has Big Blue in his backyard. Flash back to 1992, when Arlinghaus, a successful construction business owner in Edgewood, Kentucky, had an idea to build a basketball court for his family.

“We really just wanted to build something for the kids,” says Arlinghaus, now 65. “We had 10 kids. But then we built it, and it was just an enclosed goal but it was something we really liked. Then we just kept adding more and more to it. It became a full court, then it became a full gym. Then it took on more of a UK thing.”

At the same time, down in Lexington, UK Coach Rick Pitino had things rolling. His team was already a contender again, after just three seasons coming off probation. “We loved that team so much,” Arlinghaus said.

They were, in a word, Unforgettable. John Pelphrey. Deron Feldhaus. Richie Farmer. Sean Woods. Jamal Mashburn.

So it just seemed natural for Arlinghaus to build his court to regulation size, with the same dimensions and paint as to look like Rupp Arena. In fact, he called the place “Rupp Arena North.”

And that’s when it started attracting attention.

Through friends of friends, Arlinghaus was able to send an art work to the UK players, which they signed. That was also incorporated into the court—a special tribute to the team the Arlinghaus family loved so much.

Throughout the years the family opened up the court to the community. You’d see the kids’ neighborhood teams practicing there, along with high school teams and pickup leagues. If you knew the family, you could play. Even more than 20 years later it still serves as a rec center for the locals.

“We like to share it as much as possible,” Arlinghaus says. “The folks around here love their basketball—especially UK basketball.”

Want to play at Rupp Arena North? All you need to do is call ahead.

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