Big Blue Madness Tickets to be Distributed Oct. 2

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Tickets for the 2015 Big Blue Madness in Rupp Arena will be available on Friday, Oct. 2, at 10 p.m. at the Memorial Coliseum ticket windows on Euclid Avenue and online at Ticketmaster.com. Big Blue Madness, the first open practice opportunity for UK’s 2015-16 men’s and women’s basketball teams, is Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. 

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. In a change from previous seasons, the ticket distribution will take place on Friday night to allow fans to attend the home football game vs. Eastern Kentucky on Saturday, Oct. 3. The ticket distribution will take place on Friday, Oct. 2 at 10 p.m., following the 7 p.m. home UK volleyball match vs. Mississippi State.

Tickets for the 2015 Big Blue Madness will be available at 10 p.m. both at the Memorial Coliseum ticket windows on Euclid Avenue and online at Ticketmaster.com. All patrons require a ticket to Big Blue Madness, regardless of age. 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. All duplicate orders will automatically be canceled.

A limited number of control cards will be issued to those camped oconut earlier on Friday, Oct. 2 at 2 p.m. Fans will receive a maximum of four 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.

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. 30. At that time, campers are encouraged to be courteous to their fellow Wildcat fans and use caution when crossing Avenue of Champions over onto the Memorial 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 the line.

With the surrounding campus undergoing construction, space will be limited for fans wishing to line up ahead of time, and fans are encouraged to use Ticketmaster.com to obtain tickets. Once available space for fans has reached capacity, remaining fans will be asked to acquire tickets online 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. Alcoholic beverages and tobacco products are not permitted. Additionally, selling sports tickets in excess of face value is illegal in Kentucky.

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 the metered spaces directly north of the Joe Craft Center for short-term unloading needs.

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, Oct. 2, 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.

Big Blue Madness broadcast info will be released at a later date.

For the latest on the Kentucky men’s basketball team, follow @KentuckyMBB on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and on the web at UKathletics.com.