By Jordan Owens, Wildcat Blue Nation
Securing tickets to Big Blue Madness can be a hassle. You have to be online the moment they drop, finger poised over the refresh button, hoping to snag seats before they vanish. Fans from all across the Commonwealth eagerly await their chance to catch the first glimpse of the new team. For some, this is their one opportunity each year to see the Wildcats in person. For others, it’s a way to resell those free tickets for ridiculous prices. And ridiculous they are, someone had them listed for 300 and they sold.
BBN is wild folks, and some folks will pay just about anything to be there on opening night.
A night to remember: Big Blue Madness through a Father’s eyes
As for me, I lucked into tickets. I was working the night they were released, so I couldn’t be online. Thankfully, my sister came through, she snagged tickets for me and a few of my kids.
When I told my boys, all four of them that we’d secured tickets, they were hyped. Last year’s team made a true fan out of my oldest and reignited the fire for Kentucky basketball in the middle two. There was something about the way Mark Pope spoke, and how the team played that brought back the feeling of Kentucky. My youngest, at just ten months old, was simply along for the ride , smiling, drooling, and taking it all in, as he always does. But there will be photos for him to look back on always.
The anticipation started long before we ever reached Lexington though. It’s about a two-hour drive from home, and the entire trip was filled with Big Blue talk. We had old Big Blue Madness videos playing on my phone, reliving the hype of past seasons. We pulled up recruiting profiles, speculating who might commit after experiencing the Madness and what 2026 team may look like
My boys and I watched highlights of Jaland Lowe and Kam Williams, then switched over to high school clips of Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno. The conversation naturally turned to what every Kentucky kid dreams about, what they grow up thinking about playing ball in their driveway: what it would feel like to wear that jersey and to play under the bright lights of Rupp Arena. To be able to represent the state we all call home.
By the time we pulled into Lexington, the excitement was through the roof. The city was alive with blue car flags, shirts, and signs everywhere. As we made our way toward Rupp, the city felt alive. We made our way through hundreds of other fans, all decked in blue, and my kids were loving it. I could see the wonder in their eyes, and what it meant to be a Kentucky fan felt real for them in a new way. Something every member of BBN feels when they get to Rupp for the first time.
It doesn't matter if you were a lifelong fan or seeing it for the first time; Big Blue Madness has a way of making you feel like you're part of something bigger.
Rupp Arena shines with magic
As we entered the arena, we could still see remnants of the earlier event, BBN United's Fan Fest with player meet-and-greet tables still up, autograph stations still standing, and excited fans clutching signed posters. We hadn’t been able to attend that part though.
Finding our way to our seats and looking out across 20,000 roaring Kentucky fans is something that never gets old. But this time, it carried new meaning. Standing there with my boys beside me, I knew they’d remember this night forever. Walking up to section 234 with a ten-month-old hanging off you should count as a workout all its own, let me tell you.
The women’s team was the first to hit the floor, and my crew of boys were immediately impressed. Coach Brooks had the crowd fired up, and honestly, he had me wanting to buy the exact hoodie he was rocking. It was fantastic.
On the court, the team looked sharp, full of confident shooters, steady ball handlers, and a disciplined, experienced group that clearly knows how to play together. If what we saw at Madness was any indication, things should be a lot of fun at the HMC this season.
When it was time for the men’s team to take the floor, the atmosphere completely shifted. The energy went from electric to downright explosive. A gentleman a few rows ahead of us, proudly wearing an Otega Oweh jersey, made sure everyone in our section knew just how much he loved Coach Pope and his Wildcats, shouting it after nearly every player announcement.
Big Blue Madness is always a blast because you get to see each player’s personality shine. Kentucky basketball has a long tradition of colorful, unique, and fun characters, guys who can make you laugh one minute and drop 20 points the next. A few of the players even broke out the “6-7 dance,” which, to be honest, I still have no clue about it, and I am fine with that.
Trent Noah steals the show
For me and my kids, though, the best introduction of the night belonged to Trent Noah. There’s just something special about seeing a kid from the 606 make it to the big stage. Basketball, especially Kentucky basketball hits differently in the mountains. It means everything to the kids who grew up playing in the mountains, dreaming of hearing their name called inside Rupp Arena.
Noah backed up his big entrance by putting on a show in the three-point contest. The kid flat-out burned the nets off. When Jaland Lowe said earlier this year that Noah might be the best shooter he’s ever played with, plenty of people scoffed at the comment but after what we saw, it’s hard to argue. The release, the rhythm, the confidence, it all looked effortless.
Big Blue Madness was everything we hoped it would be, a night my family will always remember. Growing up, I took plenty of trips to Rupp with my dad. We saw it all, from the Pitino years, to Tubby, to Gillispie, and then Cal. Now, it’s my turn to share those moments with my kids, as they make memories with me, Coach Pope, and a new generation of Wildcats.
Jordan Owens is a contributor to Wildcat Blue Nation and a lifelong UK fanatic who has watched every UK game since 1995. Jordan is no stranger to college athletics as a former college athlete. Jordan brings a unique mix of fandom and insight that helps make WBN the go-to source for all of your Kentucky news.Find him on X here.