Bellarmine plans to install a basketball floor that mirrors the one in Knights Hall, which will remain in use for practice and select games. Bellarmine will also add branding throughout Freedom Hall that will ensure players and fans feel at home.
Concessions stands will be open, serving food, alcoholic and other beverages, for a premium game-day experience.
Bellarmine Athletics will offer a range of ticketing opportunities, including season ticket packages and single game options, as well as suites. More information about season ticket packages will be sent to season ticket holders via mail and e-mail. There are also plans for designated student seats and tickets. Fans who are interested in tickets, and don’t already have them, may register their interest here.
Located in the Kentucky Exposition Center and operated by the Kentucky Venues, Freedom Hall has completed numerous upgrades recently that will enhance the fan experience, including new lighting in the concourse and arena, renovated suites, state-of-the-art display on the center-hung digital scoreboard and a cutting-edge sound system.
“We’re extremely proud to welcome Bellarmine University to Freedom Hall,” said David S. Beck, Kentucky Venues President and CEO. “It’s a perfect combination as both Freedom Hall and Bellarmine share storied basketball legacies. I think Bellarmine fans are going to love cheering on their Knights here.”
Dr. Susan M. Donovan, Bellarmine’s President, said the agreement underscores the commitment Bellarmine made in its strategic plan to strengthen the university’s connections to the region through partnerships and collaboration.
“We’re pleased to partner with an institution like Kentucky Venues that the public funds and benefits from,” she said.
Freedom Hall, which opened in 1956, was the home of the University of Louisville Cardinals for more than five decades, and it has hosted the Final Four six times. The arena also was home to the Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball Association and was the site of Louisville legend Muhammad Ali’s first professional boxing match in 1960.
During the pandemic, fans may feel safe knowing the Kentucky Exposition Center has received the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) STAR accreditation, the gold standard for outbreak prevention, response and recovery.
About Bellarmine : Bellarmine University (Louisville, Ky.) is an inclusive independent Catholic university with a strong, liberal arts focus that educates students in mind, body, and spirit for meaningful lives, rewarding careers, ethical leadership and service to improve the human condition. Founded in 1950, Bellarmine offers more than 60 majors with an undergraduate and graduate enrollment of nearly 3,500 students and has an alumni community of more than 25,000. The Bellarmine Knights field teams in 22 sports. Bellarmine is listed as a top U.S. university by publications including The Princeton Review, Forbes and U.S. News & World Report.
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