Yeah, being a football and basketball fan is something you should either plan on being or atleast plan on being okay with. The city has an Awesome fan base that literally consumes the city when games are going on.. Which is great when you are a fan. But besides that it is a good school and i would recommend it.
Ive lived in Lex my whole life, so Ive been around UK for a while. I actually went to U of L for a couple of years (because of scholarships) and even though I like that UofL has a smaller campus, UK is still nicer in almost every area. There is a lot more to do close to campus, the sports events are always a hoot, and Lexington is really just a large college town, where louisville is a big city with a college.
My dad and both his brothers went years ago and told me how great it was. From what a few friends of mine that are going now have said it's even better now. The only thing is, you better be ready for the workload.
I've heard UK is a great school with lots of different programs. I went to EKU myself and loved it. Much smaller but offered a great education. Of course I'm working in a field now that doesn't have anything to do with my major.