parking tips for kentucky wildcats men's basketball vs. north carolina tar heels mens basketball at rupp arena (lexington ky 12/02)

big game on 12/02 with uk and unc, so downtown is going to be an absolute zoo for the 9:30 pm tip-off. traffic will be heavy, especially since it's a monday night game, so i figured i'd share a rundown of the parking sitch at rupp arena.

honestly, your absolute best bet to skip the insanity is finding a spot on the Prked app. i’ve seen people rent out their driveway or garage right next to the central bank center for way cheaper than the event rate, and you get to bypass all the backed-up arena lot traffic. short walk, no fuss. worth checking first.

for the official route, the main parking is the high street lot right across from rupp arena. it's first-come, first-served. a crucial note: rupp arena is completely cashless for parking and concessions. you must use a major credit card or mobile payment like apple pay or google pay. expect to pay around $15 to $20 for the event rate, but note that the ada lot is $27. lots open super early at 12:00 pm, regardless of the tip time, so if you want that main lot, you need to be early. you can also pre-book a spot downtown using apps like parkwhiz or spothero which shows you what's available and lets you pay in advance, which is super convenient.

the biggest insider tip for this game, since it's a late monday night tip-off (9:30 pm) is street parking. the meters downtown near rupp are only enforced monday through friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.. that means for a 9:30 pm game, street parking will be free after 5:00 pm. just look carefully for red signs or any temporary restrictions before you leave the car. remember, meter feeding is illegal, so read the time limits if you get there before 5 pm.

other great alternatives are the big lexpark garages, which are all within a 10-minute walk: the victorian square garage (pedway access), transit center garage, helix garage, and the courthouse garage are all reliable and open 24 hours. the prices here can be much better than the main lot, especially for a late night entry.

if you decide to rideshare, the drop-off and pick-up area is designated along main street, using the curb cut in front of the convention center for a safer spot. to avoid the security lines, definitely plan to arrive earlier than the 90 minutes before tip-off when the doors open.

hope this helps you avoid the traffic nightmare and find a cheap spot. go cats!