Last month, faculty members of the African-American and Africana Studies (AAAS) program at the University of Kentucky submitted a letter to President Eli Capilouto asking for Rupp Arena’s name to be changed.
The faculty pointed to former Kentucky head coach Adolph Rupp’s past and how his name has “come to stand for racism and exclusion in UK athletics and alienates Black students, fans, and attendees.” It was one of several issues that they brought forth to Capilouto, although it became the primary talking point.
On Friday, over at The Undefeated, Jesse Washington posted a thought-provoking article titled “Kentucky must reckon with the full meaning of Adolph Rupp” that went on to explain reasons why the University should look to change the Rupp Arena name.