UK welcomes new and returning Wildcats during Big Blue Move-In 2025
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 19, 2025) — The University of Kentucky is welcoming more than 8,000 new and returning Wildcats to their residence halls this week. Nearly 85% are first-year students who will live on campus.
“We know that when students live on campus — particularly the first year — they do better academically,” said Lisa Williams, acting co-executive director of UK’s Auxiliary Services. “We have the move-in process down to a science to make sure the students truly feel like this is their home away from home. We are excited about what these students and newest members of our Wildcat community will bring to our campus.”
More than 6,000 of those students are participating in Fall 2025 Big Blue Move-In (which began Sunday and runs through this Wednesday), prior to the beginning of K Week, which takes place before classes start Monday, Aug. 26. K Week offers programs and events designed to help incoming freshmen meet new people and learn about UK traditions and resources.
“Move-in was amazing. The staff were incredibly helpful and welcoming and made me feel right at home on campus,” said Kennedy Ray, an incoming freshman from Columbia, Kentucky, who was moving into Haggin Hall, aided by her mom Jennifer. “I can’t wait to start my journey as a Wildcat and meet new people and experience new things that will help me grow. Being a Wildcat means so much to me and has already given me opportunities I never knew I could have.”
Jacob Thomas, an incoming freshman from Northern Kentucky who moved into Pigman Hall, is also eager to meet new friends and embark on his Wildcat journey.
“I’m most excited about the community,” Thomas said. “I’m excited to meet new people and I know my time here will be a lot of fun.”
Big Blue Move-In would not be possible without the help of approximately 600 volunteers — which included students, student organizations, and UK faculty and staff.
“It feels great to be able help move students in, and I hope some of them see me in class and recognize a familiar face,” said Lauren Falco, a move-in volunteer and instructor in the first-year engineering program in the UK Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering. “It’s really important to make them feel welcome and have a good experience as soon as they step on campus. I just moved my son into a university and I can relate to the parents I am meeting. I hope we ease their minds a little because I know what they are going through.”
Jennifer Ray was one of the many parents grateful for the help.
“We thought move-in was great and it exceeded our expectations,” she said. “Even though it was our first time moving in, you could tell it wasn’t theirs. They had everything down to an art. I know it sounds cliché, but I can’t wait for Kennedy to experience being a Wildcat. It is such an exciting time for her and I’m excited to watch as her dreams start to come true.”
In addition to being greeted by friendly volunteers, those moving in had access to hydration stations, provided by Auxiliary Services, UK Sustainability and UK Recycling. The stations provided chilled, filtered water and reusable water bottles to those participating in move-in.
Find more information about Big Blue Move-In here and view the gallery above to see some favorite scenes from this year’s Big Blue Move-In.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.