WBN Nightcap: Football Spring Game Becomes Top Event
Oct 6, 2012; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats wide receiver Demarco Robinson (9) runs the ball against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Commonwealth Stadium. Mississippi State Bulldogs defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 27-14. Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
At the time this was written UK was reporting that over 30,000 tickets have been reserved for the 2013 Blue/White Spring football game. Think about that for a minute.
Kentucky’s record for Spring Game attendance is believed to be approximately 23,000 in the 80’s. With a month-and-a-half remaining before the game, it is not out of the question that UK could have 40,000 at the game. That would put the Wildcats in the upper half of the SEC going by last year’s numbers and would make serious a statement. We are UK and we love Wildcat football.
Anyone who has played or coached football can tell you that momentum is a very real thing and Kentucky just keeps building it. Fans are excited and season tickets are selling. The Cats may finally have a home-field advantage for the first time in years. Recruits are taking notice of Kentucky fans in a good sense now. Imagine showing up for a scrimmage and seeing 30-40k happy fans. It is guaranteed to make an impression of some players. Don’t be surprised to see a commitment or two from recruits visiting for the game. The better recruits that commit lead to other talented players to commit and all of this has a positive snowball effect that UK football has never seemed to put together.
Since the day Stoops was hired, you could see that this regime was going to be different. Just seeing the festivities that UK put together for his introductory press conference was enough to know that the university was taking football seriously now. Then the announcement that the Spring Game would be a ticketed event similar to Big Blue Madness, while angering some, was a brilliant marketing ploy. It created an event that people wanted to be a part of. Twitter was full of fans proudly sharing how many tickets they reserved and where they would be sitting that day. The small fee paid to Ticketmaster helps people attend so as not to waste their money. It also allows the marketing department to guess how many fans will be in attendance in case of promotional give-aways (wink wink) or entertainment events.
**I also want address those who were upset with the Ticketmaster situation regarding what was supposed to be a “free” ticket. It is/was a free ticket, the online system was only for people who want to reserve seats in advance and were willing to pay a little extra to do. UK has been very clear that fans will still be able to walk up and get free tickets the day of the game.
Additionally it looks like UK will treat this event like an actual game. The plan is to clear the parking lot like a game day, although parking will be first-come first-served for all of you tailgaters. (This will probably prompt some more complaining) This includes the RV lots. Fans are encouraged to show up early and tailgate, as UK is trying to create a game-day atmosphere for the event. UK is working on a deal with Keeneland for a shuttle service between the track and Commonwealth Stadium. There are a few other ideas being kicked around for entertainment (think fireworks, band performance, etc.) but nothing has been settled.
The Blue/White game is becoming the event of the spring this year and it would be great to see you there. You can pay a couple bucks or show up on game day and get tickets free. It’s an opportunity to tailgate for free and a chance to join part of a movement in the Bluegrass State. On April 13th there isn’t an event with a better value for your money than the UK Spring Game. Sound the Siren!