Don Franklin Auto Blue Carpet Returns for Big Blue Madness

LEXINGTON, Ky. – With a new location that will utilize a brand-new entrance at the Central Bank Center, the Don Franklin Auto Blue Carpet into Big Blue Madness Presented by Papa John’s will return this season.
 
Before the big show gets started Friday at Big Blue Madness, fans will have the opportunity to see the Kentucky men’s and women’s basketball teams and VIPs arrive at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center on the blue carpet from 5:30-7 p.m.
 
Fans are invited to watch the blue carpet entrance.
 
This year’s blue carpet will take place on the east side of the Central Bank Center off Main Street. The entrance is new, and fans are encouraged to review the linked map to review the current footprint of Central Bank Center and Rupp Arena while construction continues for the Central Bank Center renovation and expansion.
 
The teams, along with featured guests, will enter the arena via the Central Bank Center and walk the blue carpet for an opportunity to greet fans, interview with media members and stop to have their picture taken.
 
Select members of the teams and VIPs will also be interviewed and broadcast on the Don Franklin Auto Blue Carpet for fans to hear.
 
Regardless of vaccination status, all guests, staff and vendors will be required to wear a mask while visiting Rupp Arena. Fans will not be required to show proof of vaccination to enter Rupp Arena, but face coverings – covering the nose and mouth – are required for all fans as they watch the game from their assigned seat and enter, exit and move around Rupp Arena. Children 2 and younger will not be required to wear a mask. If spectators are unable to wear masks, they are encouraged not to attend games in person for the sake of their health and the health of others.
 
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 SEC Network. It will mark the seventh 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 ESPN app on computers, tablets and smartphones. ESPN’s Tom Hart will be on hand to make the call alongside analysts Jimmy Dykes and Debbie Antonelli. ESPN analysts Sean Farnham and Andraya Carter will serve at the emcees of Madness.
 
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 two weeks ago online, sold out in less than an hour.
 
This will be the 16th time Madness has been held in Rupp Arena. Last year’s event took place in Memorial Coliseum as a TV-only event for fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
UK Athletics strongly encourages fans to neither buy nor sell their Big Blue Madness tickets. Additionally, ticket holders should be aware of the potential risks of posting pictures of their tickets, specifically the barcode, on the internet in any way. For more information about ticket security, visit UKathletics.com/TicketSecurity. All patrons require a ticket to Big Blue Madness, regardless of age.
 
For fans attending Big Blue Madness and all 2021-22 events at Rupp Arena this season, all items are subject to search due to security reasons and the Southeastern Conference clear bag policy is in place.  Backpacks and large bags are prohibited. Guests may enter Rupp Arena with one clear bag no larger than 12″ x 6″ x 12″ plus a small clutch that does not exceed 4.5″ x 6.5″. A clear bag shall be clear from top-to-bottom and a 2′ trim/border is generally acceptable. To expedite entry into Rupp Arena, fans are encouraged not to a bring bag to sporting events at Rupp Arena. 
 
The men will enter the 2022-22 season as a Final Four contender with one of the nation’s most experienced teams in the country. UK’s roster currently features a sixth-year graduate, a fifth-year graduate, two redshirt juniors, five juniors, a redshirt sophomore, two sophomores, and three highly touted four- and five-star freshmen.
 
John Calipari’s squad will return 42.1% of its minutes, 41.9% of its scoring, 39.0% of the rebounds, 42.4% of the assists and 60.6% of the 3-pointers from a season ago. For comparison, the only two Calipari-coached Kentucky teams that returned more minutes and more points (in terms of percentages) than the 2021-22 team is slated to return were the 2011-12 national championship squad and the 2014-15 Final Four team that started the season 38-0.
 
Adding the Wildcats’ four transfers to the equation, Kentucky’s current 2021-22 roster includes 13,385 minutes, 5,203 points, 1,917 rebounds, 1,132 assists and 543 total 3-pointers in college basketball production.
 
It was a successful first season for the Kentucky women’s basketball program under head coach Kyra Elzy, who led Kentucky to a top 20 listing in the Associated Press Top 25 and USA Today/Coaches Top 25 all season long. Elzy became the first UK women’s basketball head coach to lead his or her team to the NCAA Tournament in their first season at the helm.
 
During the 2020-21 season, Kentucky defeated five ranked opponents, including back-to-back against top-15 teams for the first time since 2013. The two wins led Elzy to be named the espnW National Coach of the Week and the United States Basketball Writers Association tabbed UK its first-ever team of the week. UK was one of 10 teams in the nation to have four wins against top-25 NCAA NET teams entering the tournament.
 
The Wildcats will return a large chunk of their production from the 2020-21 season, including consensus All-America First Team honoree Rhyne Howard. Howard averaged 20.7 points per game last season, adding 7.3 rebounds per game and a team-best 91 assists. Kentucky’s third, fourth and fifth-leading scorers also return in Dre’una Edwards, Robyn Benton and Blair Green. Point guard Jazmine Massengill, who missed the first half of the season due to NCAA transfer rules after finishing second on the team in assists per game. In all, UK returns 70% of its scoring, 3-pointers made and assists, while it brings back 63% of its rebounding and 58% of its steals.
 
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s and women’s basketball teams, follow @KentuckyMBB and @KentuckyWBB on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and on the web at UKathletics.com.