Kentucky vs. Michigan State Ticket INFO

State Farm Champions Classic Tickets on Sale Oct. 1

Game will feature Kentucky vs. Michigan at 7:30 p.m. ET; Duke vs. Kansas at 9:30 p.m.

A limited number of tickets for the 2013 State Farm Champions Classic will go on sale Tuesday, Oct. 1. The third annual event will be played Tuesday, Nov. 12, at the United Center in Chicago, featuring an ESPN doubleheader of Kentucky vs. Michigan State at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by Duke vs. Kansas at 9:30 p.m.

Ticket prices range from $39 to $405 and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com, by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 or by visiting the United Center box office (open Mon.-Sat. from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., hours may vary on event days).

For more information about the 2013 State Farm Champions Classic, visit the official web site atTheChampionsClassic.com

1986 News Review; The Last Time UK defeated Florida in Football

Tonight, Kentucky tries to end a NCAA leading 26 game losing streak to SEC foe, the Florida Gators. The last time the CATS defeated the Gators was in 1986, now it's time for a look back at what the world was like in 1986....

                        TOP NEWS STORIES OF 1986:

President: Ronald Reagan

Vice President: George Bush

The U.S. officially observes Martin Luther King Day as a National Holiday

The space shuttle Challenger explodes moments after take off

Chernobyl nuclear meltdown disaster in the Soviet Union

The video game console, Nintendo out of Japan takes the U.S. by storm

The United States bombs Libya in response to terrorist attacks

                         SPORTS CHAMPIONS OF 1986:

MLB: NY Mets (defeating the Boston Red Sox)

NFL: Chicago Bears (defeating New England)

NBA: Boston Celtics (defeating Houston)

NHL: Montreal Canadians (defeating Calgary)

NCAA F: Penn State (defeating Miami)

NCAA B: Louisville (defeating Duke)

                           TOP GROSSING MOVIES OF 1986:

1.) Top Gun

2.) Crocodile Dundee

3.) Platoon

4.) The Karate Kid, Part 2

5.) Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

                            #1 HITS OF 1986 (US POP CHARTS)

Take My Breath Away (berlin)

You Give Love a Bad Name (Bon Jovi)

Amanda (Boston)

True Colors (Cyndi Lauper)

Stuck With You (Huey Lewis & The News)

A View To Kill (Duran Duran)

Higher Lover (Steve Winwood)

Rock Me Amadeus (Falco)

Sledgehammer (Peter Gabriel)

Live To Tell (Madonna)

After that little trip down memory lane you've learned a couple of things. First, the 80's had some of the worst music to ever be written (my opinion) and two, after reading all of that it seems like a million years ago since the CATS have defeated the Gators.

Many of the nations leading sports writers are putting the Gators on "upset alert" after their dismal performance at Tennessee, a game in which they lost their starting quarterback. However, it just seems far fetched, at least to me to think this years Kentucky team will be able to end the streak, but this is the most vulnerable Florida team in recent memory so one can never tell.

I'll give my prediction; Kentucky loses in a surprisingly tight game 32-28, but I hope I'm back on here tonight writing about a VICTORY....

Blue White Scrimmage Date Change

Blue-White Scrimmage Moved to Oct. 29

Tickets go on sale Oct. 8

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Blue-White Scrimmage, which was originally scheduled for Oct. 28 at Rupp Arena, has been moved to Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. ET. Tickets for the annual scrimmage will go on sale beginning Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 9 a.m. ET.

Tickets will be available online through Ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at 800.745.3000. Tickets will also be sold in person at the UK Ticket Office between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET, or by calling 800.928.2287. Fans can also obtain tickets via the Rupp Arena Box Office (859.233.3535) or by visiting statewide Ticketmaster outlets. For outlet locations, go to Ticketmaster.com.Online orders will have a minimal service fee attached.

The cost of the tickets will be $10 (lower level) and $5 (upper level). All public seating is reserved.

UK students may claim up to two free eRUPPtion Zone tickets for the Blue-White Scrimmage, while supplies last. Student tickets must be claimed in person at the Joe Craft Center ticket office with a valid student ID.

The game will be televised live on FS South as well as the UK IMG Network.

The Cats will tip off the 2013-14 seasonon Friday, Oct. 18 with Big Blue Madness at Rupp Arena.

Kelly Oubre Favors Kentucky and Kansas

ZagsBlog.com has an excellent article up on 2014 Kentucky prospect Kelly Oubre. In the article, Oubre's father, Kelly Oubre Sr. said "It's all about fit, all about vision for my son, also about him having the chance to display his talents and I hold those schools (Kansas and Kentucky) in high regard. I deal directly with them. At this point Kansas and Kentucky are pretty much on a level playing field. Kansas and Kentucky have piqued Kelly's interest as potential landing spots."

The article is definitely worth a read considering Kentucky has been considered the favorite as of late to land the 6'7" small forward who, by the way is the number 12 ranked player in the class of 2014.

Kelly is scheduled to attended Big Blue Madness for an official visit on Oct, 18.

Trey Lyes Cuts His List Down to Two

Trey Lyles, the number 8 ranked player in the class of 2014 revealed  that he has cut his to two teams and judging by the above picture that he posted on Twitter, it's going to get interesting.

Lyles, a 6'10" power forward out of Indiana posted the following message on Twitter this evening.....

TreyMambaLyles I just want to thank all the schools that have recruited me but these are the final 2 schools on my… http://t.co/alhgZNfwO2 9/23/13 6:45 PM

Let the fun begin....

Carlton Bragg to Visit Kentucky

I'm a little late to the party on this but, Zagsblog.com is reporting that the number 10 ranked player in the class of 2015, Carlton Bragg will be visiting Lexington this Friday. 

Bragg, a 6'8" power forward out of Cleveland, Ohio also holds offers from the likes of Indiana, Kansas, Michigan State, Ohio State, UCLA and of course, Louisville. This looks like the type of player that Calipari loves and we all know what happens when Cal sets his sights on a specific player... 

Calipari: "We Have at Least 7 Starters on This Team"

As you know, limited practice time is allowed for basketball coaches this time of year and usually we get some hints of what the team will look like this season and today is no different.

John Calipari took to Facebook to share what he saw in the time he had with his team today....

"Today, I put the guys thru a controlled dribble drive scrimmage. I tried a few different lineups, even the rookies vs. the veterans. Right now, I think we have at least 7 starters on this team with a few guys pushing them. I saw a lot of options, if we want to play a smaller lineup or a big lineup. We all know that it doesn't matter who starts, but what's more important is who finishes the game."

Now, after you sift through what is typical coach speak you get to the root of what they are actually trying to say without saying it. The "rookies vs. veterans" reference tells me the rookies are taking it to the upperclassman in practice, no big shock there. The "7 starters on the team with a few guys pushing them" comment tells me this team is going to be EXTREMELY deep, something everyone knew except for Jeff Goodman who ranked the CATS the 11th deepest team in the country behind the likes of Harvard I believe.

Then theres the "I saw a lot of options, if we want to play a smaller lineup or a big lineup". This means, no matter what lineup Cal decides to go with it's still going to be better than what your team has on the floor so deal with it. Of course there's no way of actually knowing what Cal actually meant by this statement on Facebook if anything. But, one thing I can tell you is he doesn't make comments like these about his team if he isn't confident. Think about it, did he give last years team anything like what he said above about this years team?

Weekend Rundown of This Weeks Kentucky News

After taking a little time off this week, it's time for another edition of "Weekend Rundown of This Weeks News". Here we go....

After being arrested in August for domestic-violence that carried with it seven felonies (three counts of domestic abuse, two counts of domestic assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, one count of kidnapping and one count of violating a protective order) DeAndre Liggins entered a NOT GUILTY plea in the Oklahoma County District Court Friday afternoon. Now, I'm not sure what all exactly took place that night, but it sure doesn't sound good for the former CAT who has already been released by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Hopefully this gets resolved....

If you're a Kentucky fan ( I don't think you would be reading this if you wasn't) then you have to be getting excited for the upcoming basketball season. All off season we have heard people label this years recruiting class as "the best in history". While I think that is unfair to put that kind of label/pressure on such a young group of kids, there is no denying that this is Cal's best recruiting class that he has ever had and possibly the best overall in the last 10 to 15 years (best in history will be determined by how they finish the season). However, the pre-season hype just keeps coming, this time from Dime Magazine where Drew Corrigan wrote "Randle competes and plays like an animal on the court. He has the size of a lion, with the heart of one to complement. He loves to attack the basket and smells when opponents fear him. Unlike Wiggins, who has bee criticized for the lack of a killer instinct, Randle definitely won't have this problem. He will keep going and keep attacking until he's satisfied. The guy is fearless. That is an attribute you can't teach and something that will help Randle in his NBA career. What he lacks in athleticism, Randle picks back up in his strength and aggression." Corrigan went on to compare Julius to Kevin Garnett  just for the "never say die" attitude they both posses.

Could the season just start already... Damn

Matt Jones of KSR had Oscar Combs as a guest on his radio show this week. Oscar, who has been covering Kentucky basketball for 50 plus years called Anthony Davis the best player he has ever seen at Kentucky. When you think about all the talent Mr. Combs has seen through the years, you begin to think that statement is a bit over the top, but let me ask you this. Had Davis played all four years what do you think his numbers would have looked like at the end of his career? Yeah, he was pretty damn good and that comment suddenly doesn't seem so over the top anymore.

It's almost that time again, every Kentucky fan waits all season long for Big Blue Madness and the wait this season is almost over. The University of Kentucky released ticket and camp-out information yesterday to the delight of CAT fans.

Tickets for Big Blue Madness will be available starting Saturday, Oct. 5 at 7am at the Memorial Coliseum ticket windows on Euclid Ave. and online at UKathletics.com and Ticketmaster.com

Madness is set to take place on Oct. 18 at 7:30pm Television broadcast information will be released at a later date.

The campout for tickets will begin no earlier than 5am on Wednesday, Oct.2.

It's upon us folks, the season is here and I like every other CAT fan CANNOT wait for it to finally begin. We owe some people this season.......

Big Blue Madness Ticket/Campout Info

Madness Tickets Distributed Oct. 5th

Distribution time set; fans may begin camping out on Oct. 2nd

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Tickets for the 2013 Big Blue Madness at Rupp Arena will be available Saturday, Oct. 5 at 7 a.m. ET at the Memorial Coliseum ticket windows on Euclid Avenue and online atUKathletics.com and Ticketmaster.com. Madness, the first open practice opportunity for UK’s 2013-14 men’s and women’s basketball teams, is Friday, Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m. Television broadcast info will be released at a later date.

Tickets are free again this year, and there will be a limit of four tickets per person at Memorial Coliseum.  Online orders will have a minimal service fee attached, and there will be a limit of four tickets per household. Online ticket ordering information will be available at a later date.

Camping Out
At the request of campus public safety officials, fans wishing to line up ahead of time at Memorial Coliseum are asked to do so no earlier than 5 a.m. ET, Wednesday, Oct. 2.  At that time, campers are encouraged to be courteous to their fellow Wildcat fans and use caution when crossing the Avenue of Champions, over onto the Coliseum block to occupy a spot in line.  Public safety officials will be on site to aid and assist in a safe move-in. Campers displaying unsafe/disorderly conduct risk being removed from line.  The Athletics Department will provide portable restroom facilities, but the use of permanent, wooden-type structures; portable generators; and propane tanks or other open flames used in cooking is prohibited due to safety concerns. Alcoholic beverages or tobacco products are not permitted. Additionally, selling sports tickets in excess of face value is illegal in Kentucky.

A maximum of four (4) control cards per tent will be issued to those camped outon Friday, Oct. 4, beginning at 2 p.m. ET. Fans will receive a maximum of four (4) tickets per control card on Saturday morning. Fans are encouraged to start lining up for Saturday morning’s ticket distribution between 5-6 a.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 5.  All fans must be present to obtain their control cards and only one control card per person will be accepted at distribution.  Control cards will not be distributed after 7 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5 and all persons with control cards must be in line by 7 a.m.

Parking and Transportation
After unloading, campers must relocate their vehicles to the E/K overflow parking lot, located across from Commonwealth Stadium off Alumni Drive. Parking in the E/K overflow parking lot will be free. Bus service will be available to transport fans back to Memorial Coliseum. Lextran buses serve this parking lot from 7 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. ET.  From 6 p.m. to midnight ET, the CATS Yellow Night Route will be in service. From midnight to 5 a.m. ET, the CATS Bus On-Demand Service may be utilized by calling (859) 221-RIDE (7233).  For more information, please visithttp://www.uky.edu/pts/buses-and-shuttles_campus-shuttles_yellow-night-route

Beginning at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4, the gates of Parking Structure #5 next to Kennedy’s Bookstore will be open and the structure will be available for free parking. The structure will remain open overnight; however no camping or sleeping in vehicles is permitted. Cars must be removed by 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5.

Construction
With ongoing construction on the Lexington Avenue side of the Joe Craft Center, campers are asked to be mindful of construction vehicles entering and leaving the construction site during daytime hours.

To The Surprise of NO ONE, Tyler Ulis Picks the CATS

As everyone expected the #3 PG in the class of 2014, Tyler Ulis decided to take his talents to Lexington, KY when he made his college decision Friday night. For a while it looked like Ulis was Michigan State's to lose, but then Tyler decided to take a visit  this past Monday to Kentucky for the annual Alumni Game and the rest is history.

This gives Kentucky two commitments in the class of 2014 the other being Karl Towns Jr.

Speaking of Karl, he seemed more than happy to have Tyler aboard posting the following on Twitter...

@KATis32: Say hello to my floor general @tulis3 #BBN #WEAREUK #WELCOMETOBBN #hungryforchampionship 

Dick Vitale likes the Ulis/Kentucky combo as well...

@DickieV: @UKCoachCalipari stikes gold again in recruiting as Ulis will be a part of BBN.

Welcome to the family Mr. Ulis......

JaQuan Lyle Decommits From Louisville

ZagsBlog.com and SNY.tv are both reporting that 2014 shooting guard JaQuan Lyle of Huntington Prep has decided to decommit from the University of Louisville. Lyle, the #22 ranked player in the class of 2014 becomes the second player in a short time-span to decommit from UofL  following Quinten Snider who also decommited in July and then decided to go with Illinois earlier this week.

Wear BLUE To The Louisville Game Saturday

This Saturday is the most important football game of the year to most Kentucky fans, Cats vs. Cards. Mark Stoops and company are asking for your support by wearing BLUE to the game. Get out and support the CATS this weekend and REMEMBER TO WEAR BLUE FOR CRYIN OUT LOUD!!!!!!!!!!

Tyler Ulis to Pick Kentucky?

The #33 ranked player in the class of 2014, Tyler Ulis will be making his college decision Friday night and Kentucky fans should be excited considering his announcement comes on the heels of Ulis' visit for the UK Alumni Game. For a while some thought Michigan State was thought to be in the drivers seat, but since losing Emmanuel Mudiay to SMU, Calipari has turned up the heat so to speak on Ulis.

To make Kentucky fans feel more confident about tomorrow night, ESPN's Jeff Goodman tweeted earlier today that "Michigan State is conceding Tyler Uis to UK, moving to backup plan. "Tum Tum" Narin will visit East Lansing this weekend. Michigan State and Izzo selling Nairn the chance to come right in and have the ball from Day 1."

Sounds like tomorrow night will be a good one for CAT fans.....