Big Blue Madness Ticket Distribution set September 29

[Darrell KSR]

UK Media Relations

Big Blue Madness will take place Oct. 13 in Rupp Arena

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Tickets for the 2017 edition of Big Blue Madness in Rupp Arena will be available Friday, Sept. 29, at 10 p.m. at the Memorial Coliseum ticket windows on Avenue of Champions and online at Ticketmaster.com. Big Blue Madness, the first open practice opportunity for UK’s 2017-18 men’s and women’s basketball teams, is Oct. 13 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. Like the last two years, the ticket distribution will take place Friday night both at the Memorial Coliseum ticket windows on Avenue of Champions and online at Ticketmaster.com. All patrons require a ticket to Big Blue Madness, regardless of age.

A limited number of control cards will be issued to those camped out Friday, Sept. 29, at 2 p.m. All fans must be present to obtain their control cards and only one control card per person will be accepted at distribution. All people with control cards must be in line by 10 p.m.

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. 27. The athletics 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.

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.

Campers are expected to be respectful to fellow campers, students, faculty, staff, security officials and pedestrians during the campout; and to abide by all university policies. The university will be operating normally with classes in session.

Parking and transportation information, along with further ticketing details, will be released at a later time.

[CitizenBBN]

It's funny that the lineup for Madness is so powerful that the SEC uses it in their ads, but UKAA seems to do everything they can to discourage it from happening. I get the legal issues and such, and you don't want people out there burning pallets and cooking hot dogs, but dang guys, this is one of the hallmarks of the program and a huge marketing tool.

[Bakert]

It's funny that the lineup for Madness is so powerful that the SEC uses it in their ads, but UKAA seems to do everything they can to discourage it from happening. I get the legal issues and such, and you don't want people out there burning pallets and cooking hot dogs, but dang guys, this is one of the hallmarks of the program and a huge marketing tool.

I think they should find ways to do more with the ticket distribution and do away with the event for which the tickets are being distributed. OK, I'm sort of kidding. I know people who have been say it's much better live than on television. But I think the campout is, as you suggest, a hallmark of who we are, just as K-Ville is at Duke, and a big marketing tool.