The University of Kentucky will create a 20,000-square-foot studio, production center and learning/research laboratory in Rupp Arena at the Central Bank Center in downtown Lexington.
The university's College of Communication and Information says in a news release that it is partnering with UK Athletics and JMI Sports to create a high-tech collaborative space where students can learn alongside media production and sports marketing and communication professionals.
"We’ve been training students in broadcasting and media production for more than 70 years in various spaces across the campus,” said Jennifer Greer, dean of UK’s College of Communication and Information. “This space represents a significant step forward in providing a collaborative place where our educational programs can be taken to the next level."
All three partners envision the facility as a collaborative space that will enable students, faculty and staff interested in sports to work with UK’s media production and marketing teams.
The first floor of the Pavilion at Central Bank Center will house the laboratory.
The new studio in Rupp Arena will enable the college to replace the roughly 6,000 square feet of studio space it has used for decades in the Taylor Education Building. That space will be repurposed for other uses.
Greer said the college anticipates beginning to use the studio in fall 2023.
