Madness Too Good to Pass Up for Some Fans

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 5, 2009) –Since 1982, Big Blue Madness has given anxious UK basketball fans their first glimpse of the Cats. For some, it's an annual ritual to open the basketball season - one of numerous events and games they'll attend through the Cats' season-long march.

For others, the year's first practice is their only chance to see the team in person.

"Season tickets are pretty expensive and we live four hours away, so this our best shot," said Monica Young of Paducah, Ky., who will be attending her third Big Blue Madness Oct. 16. "Since we're not students, it's pretty hard to get tickets unless someone we know has them and doesn't want them. ... It was a long drive, but it's worth it."

So every year, fans like Young and her boyfriend, Shon Murphy, pack the lawn in and around Memorial Coliseum in hopes of getting their hands on a couple of prized tickets. They line up days in advance, pitch tents and put life on hold until the tickets are finally released, free of charge. 

Theresa Salyer from Morgan County, Ky., has camped for tickets five years in a row.

"Since I don't get to many games, I love doing this because I can get here early and get lower arena seats for free," said Salyer, who drove 90 minutes last Wednesday morning and saved her place in line at 6 a.m. "Thankfully, I'm retired so I don't have to take off work or lie to the boss to camp out." 

Salyer is one of the lucky ones.

Numerous Cat fans every year save their vacation or sick days and flee to Lexington in order to guarantee their spot in Rupp Arena. As of last Thursday morning, 265 tents packed the grass around Memorial Coliseum, and more  were expected through Thursday and Friday.

"I told my boss I was camping. I just didn't tell him where," said Chris Moore from Inez, Ky.

Moore was camping with Wes Horn, both 2001 UK graduates. Horn said he saved up a whole week of vacation just for that chance to camp out on campus and get his hands on Big Blue Madness tickets.

Like most fans, Josh Shuck, his cousin Matthew Shuck and Quiton Fryman, who were all sharing a tent together, don't consider Madness as just the first practice of the season.

"Nothing beats this," Josh Shuck said. "This is the start of the season for me. I know my friends and I always count down how long until we can camp out. This will be my fourth in a row."

Instead of camping out, fans had the opportunity to purchase tickets online at UKathletics.com or Ticketmaster.com on Saturday at 6 a.m., but Josh Shuck said that he prefers camping for a few days to get tickets instead of going online and clicking his way to Rupp.

"This is an opportunity to meet some players and hang out with other diehard UK fans," Josh Shuck said. "It's just a lot of fun."

Other than free Madness tickets, there's no telling what else is in store for the Big Blue fans.

One thing is for sure after seeing the hundreds upon hundreds pour onto the lawn at Memorial Coliseum: Big Blue Madness has been taken to another level.

I'm ecstatic," Salyer said. "It doesn't look like I'm the only one either. I've never seen this many people here this early."