Interactive Light Show At Big Blue Madness

Big Blue Madness presented by Papa John’s, the annual celebration of the start of the men’s and women’s basketball seasons, is a favorite event of Kentucky fans. This year, fans will be able to take an active role in the spectacle at Rupp Arena.

This year’s Big Blue Madness will feature an interactive light show originating from fans’ mobile devices. To participate, fans should download the Kentucky Wildcats Gameday app. The app is available in the App Store or Android Marketplace by searching “Kentucky Wildcats.”

Fans should download the app prior to coming to Rupp Arena for Madness. Once the event begins and fans are prompted, they can participate in the light show by going to the men’s basketball portion of the site and clicking “More” on the bottom right corner of the screen. From there, click “Wildcat Lights.”

UK Athletics has partnered with Offline to create the light show. Offline, formerly known as Wham City Lights, is the world's leading mobile platform for crowd engagement at live events and concerts. Fans will also be able to participate in the light show using Offline’s app, called Offline Lights.

Big Blue Madness, set for Oct. 14, will feature introductions of both the men’s and women’s basketball teams, practice drills, videos and more. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and the event will begin at 7 p.m.

Free tickets for Big Blue Madness, which were distributed two weeks ago in person at Memorial Coliseum and online, sold out in just 28 minutes.

This will be the 12th time Madness has been held at Rupp Arena.

Some Rupp Arena Rule Changes You Need To Be Aware Of

To provide a safer environment for the public and serve as an enhancement to security, UK Athletics and Rupp Arena will implement a new policy limiting the size bag that may be brought inside Rupp Arena during Kentucky men’s and women’s basketball games, as well as requiring all fans to walk through metal detectors upon entry into the venue.

These changes will be in effect for all future events at Rupp Arena, beginning Oct. 14 with Big Blue Madness.

The bag policy will require that bags do not exceed 12” x 6” x 12”. An exception will be made for medically necessary items after proper inspection at a gate designated for this purpose.

In addition to the bag policy for UK men’s and women’s basketball games, Rupp Arena will be using walkthrough metal detectors for events at the venue.

Both changes will apply at all general public, student and premium entrances. Please watch the following video for more information.

Doors will continue to open at Rupp Arena 90 minutes prior to tipoff. Under the new event-day policies, fans are highly encouraged to arrive early to games. UK Athletics and Rupp Arena are also encouraging patrons to travel light for quicker entry. Express lanes for guests with no bags will be provided to assist in expediting the security process.

Prohibited bags include, but are not limited to backpacks or any bag larger than the permissible size. In addition, Rupp Arena security will not permit the following items inside the area:

·         All illegal substances (tobacco products and electronic cigarettes are permitted in the designated smoking area outside of the arena)

·         Artificial noisemakers, irritants and laser pointers

·         Backpacks

·         Banners

·         Beach balls

·         Cameras with detachable lenses

·         Computers

·         Fireworks

·         Frisbees

·         Glass, aluminum containers, ice chests and flasks 

·         Inflatables 

·         Mace

·         Outside food and beverages, including alcoholic beverages

·         Poles, extensions or selfie sticks

·         Signs larger than 24 inches by 24 inches

·         Unmanned aircrafts

·         Video or audio recorders

·         Weapons

The following items are welcome inside Rupp Arena:

·         Cameras – no detachable lenses

·         Service animals –as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act

·         Personal chairbacks – maximum width 18 inches and cannot have any hard plastic or metal parts or attach to the bleachers in any way

·         Strollers – small collapsible style

UK Athletics and Rupp Arena are committed to creating a safe and fan-friendly environment. For more information, please visit RuppArena.com/guest-services.

CBS Sports Classic Tickets On Sale Friday

CBS Sports Classic Tickets on Sale Friday

Kentucky-North Carolina, UCLA-Ohio State slated to rumble in Vegas

Saturday, Dec. 17, at T-Mobile Arena

Las Vegas, Nev. (Oct. 11, 2016) – Tickets to the 2016 CBS Sports Classic, a college basketball doubleheader featuring perennial powers Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio State and UCLA, will go on sale Friday, Oct. 14, at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT). 

T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas will host the third annual event on Saturday, Dec. 17, when Ohio State takes on UCLA at Noon PT, followed by North Carolina vs. Kentucky at approximately 2:45 p.m. PT. CBS will broadcast the games.

Tickets to the CBS Sports Classic guarantee admission to both contests and can be purchased through AXS atwww.axs.com, www.t-mobilearena.com, by calling AXS at (888) 929-7849 or by visiting the box office at T-Mobile Arena.

Together, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio State and UCLA have won 25 NCAA Championships and made 175 NCAA Tournament appearances. Since 2006, each team has appeared in at least two Final Fours, while each of the four has played in at least one national championship game, with North Carolina’s most recent participation last year. They are among college basketball’s all-time winningest programs, combining for more than 7,700 victories.

First Four Home Basketball Game Tickets On Sale Today

Tickets for Kentucky's first four home men's basketball games will go on sale Tuesday at 5 p.m. On Tuesday evening, tickets will only be available online at Ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at 800.745.3000. Fans are encouraged to purchase on Tuesday evening to secure the best seat locations.

Based on availability after Tuesday’s sale, tickets will also be available on Wednesday morning through the UK ticket office and the Rupp Arena box office.

Tickets for Kentucky's two exhibition games vs. Clarion (Oct. 30) and Asbury (Nov. 6) and the first two regular-season home games against Stephen F. Austin (Nov. 11) and Canisius (Nov. 13) will be available.

Remaining tickets for sale will come from the unsold student ticket allotment.

Including Tuesday, there will be five dates to purchase single-game tickets this season, based on availability:

·         Oct. 4 at 5 p.m. – Clarion (Oct. 30), Asbury (Nov. 6), Stephen F. Austin (Nov. 11), Canisius (Nov. 13)

·         Oct. 18 at 5 p.m. – Duquesne (Nov. 20), Cleveland State (Nov. 23), UT Martin (Nov. 25), Valparaiso (Dec. 7)

·         Nov. 3 at 5 p.m. – UCLA (Dec. 3), Texas A&M (Jan. 3), Arkansas (Jan. 7)

·         Dec. 8 at 5 p.m. – Auburn (Jan. 14), South Carolina (Jan. 21), Kansas (Jan. 28), Georgia (Jan. 31)

·         Jan. 25 at 5 p.m. – LSU (Feb. 7), Tennessee (Feb. 14), Florida (Feb. 25), Vanderbilt (Feb. 28)

For a complete listing of on-sale dates, single-game ticket prices and other ticket information, visitUKAthletics.com/tickets-mens-basketball.

Tickets for the Blue-White Scrimmage at Rupp Arena on Oct. 21 are still available. Lower-level tickets (singles only) are $10 and 200-level tickets are $5.

As always, UK Athletics encourages all fans to buy tickets to our athletics events through the UK ticket office, Ticketmaster, TicketExchange and the Rupp Arena box office. Tickets bought from anywhere other than those four sources may not be valid, and buyers should beware.

The Cats will tip off the 2016-17 season Oct. 14 with Big Blue Madness in Rupp Arena.

2016-17 Big Blue Madness INFO

Tickets for the 2016 Big Blue Madness in Rupp Arena will be available on Friday, Sept. 30 at 10 p.m. at the Memorial Coliseum ticket windows on Avenue of Champions and online at Ticketmaster.com. Big Blue Madness, the first open practice opportunity for UK’s 2016-17 men’s and women’s basketball teams, is Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. It will also air live on the SEC Network.

Tickets are free again this year for the annual spectacle in Rupp Arena, which will feature introductions of both the men’s and women’s basketball teams, practice drills, videos, and more. Like last year, the ticket distribution will take place on Friday night both at the Memorial Coliseum ticket windows on Avenue of Champions and online at Ticketmaster.com. All patrons require a ticket to Big Blue Madness, regardless of age. There will be a limit of two tickets per person at Memorial Coliseum. Online orders will have a minimal service fee attached, and there will be a limit of two tickets per household. All duplicate orders will automatically be cancelled. 

To support regular campus operations and facilitate student pedestrian routes to and from class – which have been affected due to surrounding campus construction – space will be limited to fans wishing to line up ahead of time for tickets. Fans are highly encouraged to use Ticketmaster.com to obtain tickets, though UK Athletics cannot guarantee fans will receive tickets by lining up or going online.

A limited number of control cards will be issued to those camped out on Friday, Sept. 30 at 2 p.m. In a change from previous years, fans will receive a maximum of two tickets per control card Friday night. No more than four control cards will be distributed to each tent. Fans with control cards are encouraged to start lining up for Friday night’s ticket distribution by 8:30 p.m. All fans must be present to obtain their control cards and only one control card per person will be accepted at distribution. 

Campout

At the request of campus public safety officials, fans wishing to line up ahead of time at Memorial Coliseum for ticket distribution are asked to do so no earlier than 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 28. At that time, campers are expected to be courteous to their fellow Wildcat fans and use caution when crossing Avenue of Champions and Rose Street over to the Memorial Coliseum and Joe Craft Center blocks to occupy a spot in line. Public safety officials will be on site to aid and assist a safe move-in. Campers displaying unsafe/disorderly conduct risk being removed from the line.

To support regular campus operations and facilitate student pedestrian routes to and from class, this year’s camping area will be limited to the following areas:

·         The eastern portion of the main entrance of Memorial Coliseum

·         Along the east side of Memorial Coliseum and the Joe Craft Center

·         Along the east entrance of the main entry way of the Craft Center

·         In the Coliseum Lot

·         A designated section of the College View Lot

A map is attached of this year’s available camping sites.

Campers are expected to be respectful to fellow campers, students, faculty, staff, security officials and pedestrians during the campout; and to abide by all university policies. The university will be operating normally with classes in session.

Because of the limited space, fans are highly encouraged to use Ticketmaster.com. UK Athletics cannot guarantee a spot for those wishing to line up ahead of time on Wednesday at 5 a.m. Once available space for fans has reached capacity, remaining fans will be asked to acquire tickets at Ticketmaster.com. As in past years, UK Athletics will inform fans when available space has reached capacity and they are unlikely to receive control cards for the in-person ticket distribution.   

The athletic 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. Campers may not drive or drill stakes in the pavement to secure tents in the parking lot areas. Alcoholic beverages and tobacco products are not permitted. Additionally, selling sports tickets in excess of face value is illegal in Kentucky.

Parking and Transportation

Fans camping out for the Big Blue Madness ticket distribution may utilize the Wildcat Plaza area located directly across Avenue of Champions from Memorial Coliseum for a maximum of five minutes to drop off campers or unload their vehicles. Campers may also pay to use any metered spaces on city streets near the Craft Center-Memorial Coliseum complex.

The Coliseum Lot will be monitored by UK Parking and Transportation. Only UK employee-permitted vehicles will be allowed entry unless guests are using the metered spaces to use the UK ticket office or bookstore.

Campus safety officials request that campers not block bike lanes and/or sidewalks with their vehicles at any time. Vehicles left unattended or creating a traffic hazard will be cited and/or towed.

After unloading, campers must relocate their vehicles to off-campus locations.  Public parking options near campus include the Transit Center Garage and the Lexington Center Corporation, both of which have entrances accessible via High Street.  Both parking lots are within walking distance of Memorial Coliseum and provide daily parking for a small fee.  Please visit lextran.com/routes for information regarding Lextran bus routes to campus.     

Beginning at 2 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30, the gates of the South Limestone Garage (PS #5, located next to Kennedy’s Wildcat Den) will be open and the structure will be available for free parking. The garage will remain open until 1 a.m. on Saturday.

Fan and Sponsor Activities

After a successful debut at last season’s campout, the UK Sports Network will once again produce live video stream coverage of Big Blue Madness Campout with the airing of “Tent City Live.” Broadcasting from the Coca-Cola Stage, now located outside the Joe Craft Center and Wildcat Coal Lodge, the live stream will air Thursday, Sept. 29 from 7-10 p.m. ET on UKathletics.com/tentcitylive. Fans can also tune in to 630 WLAP-AM to listen to the radio broadcast of the show.

Christi Thomas and Dave Baker return as hosts for the show and special guests will join throughout the evening, including the Voice of the Wildcats, Tom Leach, for a night of interviews and roundtable discussions previewing the upcoming season. Fans are encouraged to submit questions and comments for the hosts and guests to the UK Sports Network via Twitter at @UKRadioNetwork to be answered on the live stream.

In addition to “Tent City Live”, the Coca-Cola Stage will also be the setting for interactive sponsor promotions and fan events, including a live performance on Wednesday from the acoUstiKats and Paws and Listen, the University of Kentucky’s respective male and female student a cappella groups. Coke will also have an inflatable football toss and photo station backdrop on site for fans to share pictures of campout. Specialty Foods Group will once again be on-site with a Fischer’s hot dog grilling station to help feed fans. Also, one of the most popular events to close out the evening will be the Papa John’s pizza handout to fans.

Kentucky Open Practice On ESPNU Oct. 9th

Kentucky fans will once again get a sneak peek at the UK men’s basketball team for a live, televised open practice on ESPNU. This year’s open practice will be televised Oct. 9 from 7-9 p.m.

The Wildcats will go through various agility and shooting drills in addition to 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 scrimmaging.

Doris Burke, Seth Greenberg and Fran Fraschilla will be on hand to call the action for ESPNU, along with Andy Katz, who will handle sideline reports.

It’s the third season in a row UK has had a practice televised live.

Kentucky is coming off a 27-9 season that included both the Southeastern Conference regular-season and tournament championships. The Wildcats will have to replace 75.8 percent of their scoring and 70.0 percent of their rebounding from a year ago, but as John Calipari has done in every season he’s been at UK, he’s reloaded with even more talent.

Calipari will welcome six newcomers to the 2016-17 roster, including Bam Adebayo, Brad Calipari, De’Aaron Fox, Wenyen Gabriel, Sacha Killeya-Jones and Malik Monk. Five of Kentucky’s six signees are considered consensus top-25 players in the class of 2016, according to the Recruiting Services Consensus Index. Five of the six are consensus four- or five-start recruits.

In addition to the star-studded recruiting class, UK will also welcome back experience with sophomores Isaiah Briscoe and Isaac Humphries, and seniors Derek Willis, Dominique Hawkins and Mychal Mulder.

Eighth Annual John Calipari Women's Clinic Info...

The eighth annual and always popular John Calipari Women’s Clinic has been set for Oct. 23 from 1-4 p.m. For the first time in the event’s history, the clinic will take place in historical Rupp Arena, which was recently renovated. 

The clinic is designed for women with all levels of basketball knowledge and experience and offers an exclusive inside look at the University of Kentucky men’s basketball program. The cost will remain unchanged at $100.

For the first time ever, each participant will be guaranteed a small group (10 people) picture with the entire Kentucky men’s basketball team. Participants will be able to download their picture for digital or print use after the clinic. 

To minimize waiting time for fellow clinic participants, attendees will be limited to three basketballs for purchase from the camp store. Due to time constraints, the only items that will be guaranteed to be signed by UK personnel are the camp store balls, which will be on sale at a discounted rate this year at the on-site camp store. Clinic attendees will be allowed to bring one additional item to be signed by Coach Calipari only during registration from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Check-in for the Women’s Clinic will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 23 at the media/security entrance on the west side of Rupp Arena. Participants can access the entrance through the Manchester Street parking lot.  

Parking is free and will be available in the lot located adjacent to Manchester Street and the west side of Rupp Arena. Attendees must park in a legal parking spot.

Registration is available online. Interested participants are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible due to limited spots available. The past five clinics have been sold out.

Throughout the designated check-in time, attendees can enjoy refreshments and a self-guided tour of Rupp Arena. Men’s basketball staff members will be stationed throughout the facility for directions and questions.

Following check-in, the women’s clinic will begin at 1 p.m. with the introduction of the 2016-17 UK men’s basketball team. Also included are scheduled presentations by staff and players on the inner workings of the program, as well as a Q & A with Calipari, UK coaches and staff members.

The event will feature a camp store with Kentucky basketball items available for purchase. Please note that the camp store can only accept cash or checks as a form of payment. No credit/debit cards will be accepted.

Attendees are encouraged to wear comfortable attire (athletic shoes) and participate in activities and presentations at their own risk.

This clinic is open to women only. Recruitable-age females (currently in grades 9-12, junior college or prep school) are not permitted to register for or attend the clinic, per NCAA rules.

Once you have completed the registration process, you will receive a confirmation email with an itinerary. You will receive reminder emails with additional details of the event.

Any clinic-related questions can be answered by calling into the men’s basketball camp line at 859-257-9457 or 859-257-1916.