April 19, 2000
Alumni Cookout on Friday, Game on Saturday:
More than 200Wildcat football alumni plan to return to campus to take part in the”Wildcat Weekend.”
The alumni will have an orientation Friday at 6 p.m. at theNutter Field House, followed by a cookout at the K-House at 6:30 p.m.
On Saturday, the first quarter of the Blue/White Spring Gamewill be “touch football” played by the alumni. The game has become sopopular that the alumni have been split into two groups and each groupwill play for 10 minutes with a continuous running clock. The firstgroup is players who finished their careers in 1975 and earlier. Thesecond group is players who finished their careers in 1976 or later.
The score of the alumni quarter will remain on the board and thevarsity will begin the game in the second quarter.
Coach Hal Mumme instituted the alumni game in 1997, his firstspring practice at UK. The event has grown steadily, as the number ofalumni attending has increased each year.
Some of the most prominent former players and coaches includenotables such as Bill Arnsparger, Oliver Barnett, Calvin Bird, RodgerBird, George Blanda, Jerry Claiborne, Ray Correll, Dermontti Dawson, BobGain, Wallace “Wah Wah” Jones, Rick Kestner, Jim Kovach, CharlieMcClendon, Steve Meilinger, Lou Michaels, Art Still, Harry Ulinski, andJeff Van Note.
Hackett, Karibo to Serve as Alumni Coaches:
Former WildcatsWilbur Hackett and Lou Karibo will serve as coaches for the alumniportion of the Blue/White Spring Football Game.
The alumni will play touch football for the first quarter of thegame, which will be comprised of two 10-minute periods with a continuousrunning clock. The first 10-minute session will be played by alumni whofinished their careers in 1975 and earlier. The second 10-minutesession will be played by alumni who finished in 1976 or later.
Hackett played linebacker at UK and was a three-year lettermanfor the Wildcats (1968-70). He was chosen for the “Sophomore All-SECTeam” in 1968. As a junior, he was elected team captain, the firstAfrican-American captain in the SEC. He completed his collegiate careerby being named UK’s Most Valuable Senior in 1970.
Hackett has stayed involved with the game by serving as a gameofficial. He began officiating high school games in 1985 and hassteadily worked his way up the prep and small college ranks. He wasselected as a Southeastern Conference official in 1998, manning the roleof umpire, and will be entering his third year in the SEC this fall. Ofcourse, as a UK graduate, he is not allowed to officiate games involvingthe Wildcats.
A native of Louisville, Hackett works for the Toyota Manufacturing Plantin Georgetown. He organized and remains very active in youth baseballleagues in Louisville.
Karibo was a running back and a two-year letterman for theWildcats (1952-53). He coached at UK and Texas A&M before serving fouryears as a pilot in the U. S. Air Force.
After his military service, Karibo coached five years of highschool football in Louisville. He entered the business world and wasDirector of Training for 10 years for Kentucky Fried Chicken. For thelast 24 years, he has worked in the Kentucky State Government in variouscapacities, including the state police, Commissioner of Parks, theEducation Department, the parole board, and in workforce development.
Currently, Lou is the State Director of Historic Properties. Heis active in the “Bear’s Boys” group of football alumni who played forCoach Paul “Bear” Bryant.
Groundbreaking Ceremony to be Held Saturday for Nutter CenterAddition:
There will be a groundbreaking ceremony for the addition tothe Nutter Training Center on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The ceremony willbe held in the grass area on the left side (north) of the existingstructure.
Participating in the ceremony will be:
- Paul Orberson, who gave the $1.6-million founding gift for the NutterCenter addition,
- Bob Nutter, representing the Nutter family, who also contributed tothe fund for the new addition,
- UK President Charles Wethington Jr.,
- Athletic Director C. M. Newton,
- Coach Hal Mumme,
- John Chovan and J. C. Jones, representing the architectural firm ofArrasmith, Judd, and Rapp, Inc., and
- Larry Ivy and Kathleen DeBoer, UK Associate ADs, and Russ Pear, UKAssistant AD for Facilities.
The addition will be two floors and cover approximately 7,500square feet. New offices for the football coaches and the coaching filmcrew will be constructed. Currently, construction bids are beingreceived. Construction is expected to begin this summer with completiontargeted for the summer of 2001.
“Wildcat Weekend” April 21-23:
“Wildcat Weekend” will be April21-23 with six athletic events available for one admission price of $5.
“Wildcat Weekend” begins Friday, April 21, with a softballdoubleheader vs. Florida at 5 p.m. at the UK Softball/Soccer Complex.The baseball team plays host to South Carolina – the nation’s No.1-ranked team – at 6 p.m. at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
On Saturday, the softball team has another doubleheader againstthe Gators, beginning at 1 p.m. The baseball team takes on SouthCarolina at 2 p.m.
Saturday’s activities are capped by the Blue/White SpringFootball Game at 6 p.m. at Commonwealth Stadium. “Wildcat Weekend”wraps up on Sunday with a baseball game vs. South Carolina at 1 p.m.
One ticket, priced at just $5 each, is good for admission to allsix events. Tickets may be purchased in advance at Kroger stores inCentral Kentucky, the UK Ticket Office in Memorial Coliseum, or may bepurchased at the games.
Children in the eighth grade and younger will be admitted freeto all “Wildcat Weekend” events. UK students with ID card will beadmitted free and parking is free for all events.
Ticket sales from “Wildcat Weekend” will benefit the UK bandprogram.
Tubby Smith to Throw First Pitch:
UK men’s basketball coachTubby Smith will throw the ceremonial first pitch of Friday’s softballdoubleheader. The Wildcats play host to the Florida Gators at 5 p.m.
Spring Practice Schedule:
Fri. April 212 p.m., practice at NTC
Sat. April 226 p.m., Blue/White Spring Game at Commonwealth Stadium
