Memorial Coliseum stands as a monument to the proud tradition of UK Athletics. Not only was it the place where Adolph Rupp coached 21 seasons, UK’s volleyball, women’s basketball and gymnastics teams also now call it home today. Most importantly, it pays tribute to Kentuckians who have given their lives serving our country and protecting our freedom.

Today, we have grand plans to reinvent Memorial as the state-of-the-art home of three teams. We also want to build a physical home for the UK Athletics Hall of Fame to tell the stories of past Wildcat greats, as well as honor our fallen military in special ways.

It is our responsibility to secure the future of this great venue while preserving its legacy. With your support, Kentucky can do that.

We believe in the transformational power of the experience we provide for our student-athletes. We believe because we’ve seen countless examples firsthand.

We have seen promising athletes fully take advantage of the resources around them to become champions. We have seen young people realize the power of sacrificial giving through the community service opportunities we provide for them and go on to become servants in the Lexington community and beyond. We have seen men and women apply the lessons in teamwork, hard work, perseverance and selflessness in building careers, families and lives of their own.

Now, we imagine taking this one-of-a-kind experience to the next level. We want to help create a new generation of leaders for our world. With your support, Kentucky can do that.

UK Athletics is in the midst of its greatest stretch of comprehensive competitive success in its century-plus existence. Never before have so many Wildcat teams competed at so high a level, which has led to seven straight top-30 finishes in national all-sports standings and a record 10th-place finish in 2016-17. This success has been fueled by the hard work of an exceptionally dedicated group of student-athletes and coaches, as well as the growth of the facilities where the Wildcats play, practice and train.

Our competition isn’t taking a step back though. Neither are we.

Our expectations are for all 22 of our sports to compete at a championship level. The resources we provide must match that. Thanks to the generosity of our donors Kentucky can build and maintain championship-level facilities.

It all starts with education.

More than 12 percent of UK Athletics’ annual budget goes toward funding the full in-state and out-of-state tuition rates for 330 scholarships. As substantial as this expense may be – $17.9 million in 2018-19 alone – there couldn’t be a more worthwhile investment than to help young people – many of them first-generation college students – pursue degrees from a world-class university.

With tuition rates increasing nationally, this investment will only grow in future years. Our commitment to its importance is unwavering. Kentucky can live out that commitment only with your support.