UK Sports Network to Air ‘Countdown to Madness’ Special
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The UK Sports Network will once again air a pre-Big Blue Madness TV special on Friday prior to Big Blue Madness presented by Papa John’s. “Countdown to Madness” will be televised live from 5:30-7 p.m. on select UK Sports Network affiliates.
Big Blue Madness presented by Papa John’s is slated to start at 7 p.m.
Countdown to Madness will feature exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes content from the Kentucky men’s and women’s basketball teams and more. Dave Baker and Christi Thomas will serve as the hosts for the night and will be joined by special guests.
JMI Sports will also air coverage of UK’s VIP blue carpet entrance with “This is Kentucky Basketball” host Brent Carney. Fans will be able to watch live as former and current players, coaches and staff, and special guests enter Rupp Arena for Big Blue Madness 2017.
For the second straight season, Countdown to Madness will air regionally on a delayed basis on Fox Sports South. Below are the complete listings of networks throughout the state and surrounding regions:
| Market | Station (Time) |
| Bowling Green, Ky. | WKBO (Live at 5:30 p.m.) |
| Evansville, Ind. | WTVW (Live at 5:30 p.m.) |
| Hazard, KY. | WYMT/EYMT (Live at 5:30 p.m.) |
| Lexington, Ky. | WKYT/CW (Live at 5:30 p.m.) |
| Louisville, Ky. | WBKI (Live at 5:30 p.m.) |
| Regional | Fox Sports South (Friday at 10:30 p.m. and Oct. 18 at 5:30 p.m.) |
For fans unable to make it to Rupp Arena for Big Blue Madness, the annual tipoff to the Kentucky men’s and women’s basketball seasons can be seen live on the SEC Network. It will mark the third straight season the annual spectacle will air live and in its entirety on a national network.
The two-hour show will also stream live via the WatchESPN app on computers, tables and smartphones. ESPN’s Rich Hollenberg will be on hand to make the call alongside analysts Sean Farnham and Debbie Antonelli.
Big Blue Madness presented by Papa John’s 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 last week in-person at Memorial Coliseum and online, sold out in just 40 minutes.
This will be the 13th time Madness has been held in Rupp Arena.
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s basketball team, follow @KentuckyMBB on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and on the web at UKathletics.com.
