Not even three hours to the campout for tickets to Big Blue Madness 2012, the population of “Tent City” is already on a record-setting pace.As of 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, there are approximately 425 tents encircling Memorial Coliseum. Last year’s tent count on day one was 398 and that number wasn’t totaled until late afternoon. By the end of the 2011 campout, there were a record 570 tents. By this point, it should come as no surprise, but the Big Blue Nation continues to outdo itself.The configuration of this year’s campout is a bit more organized, as more ticket-seekers have been directed across the Avenue of Champions to Stoll Field. However, the festive atmosphere of the annual event remains. Many familiar faces (and tents) have returned from previous year’s campouts, surely planning vacation schedules around the campout.Fans were able to officially line up at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, meaning those that arrived first will have camped out for 72 hours when tickets are distributed at 7 a.m. on Saturday.Throughout the week, we’ll have full coverage of the campout and visits by UK student-athletes and coaches, so stay tuned. We’ll also have our next official tent count late on Wednesday afternoon.In the mean time, here are a couple videos to give you an idea of the scene.Madness setup sights and sounds

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Time lapse of Madness setup