Big Blue Madness will ‘go to next level’ and be ‘awesome,’ says new UK Coach Mark Pope

The University of Kentucky’s Big Blue Madness is set for Oct. 11 at Rupp Arena and tickets for the annual event will be distributed online beginning at 5 p.m. Friday.

Because of ongoing renovations at Memorial Coliseum, tickets will be available online only.

Big Blue Madness will be the first for Kentucky men’s basketball coach Mark Pope and women’s coach Kenny Brooks. Tickets will be available through ticketmaster.com. The event will be sponsored by the Ronald McDonald House of the Bluegrass.

“We have some things in the works that have never been seen in college basketball before — I kid you not,” Pope said last week during an appearance on Kentucky Sports Radio. “It’s going to be awesome. Big Blue Madness is always awesome. We’re trying to go next level.”

Kentucky will formally introduce Pope, Brooks, and their first Kentucky men’s and women’s basketball teams. Contests, practice drills, videos, and more will bring in the official start to the 2024-25 basketball season. It will mark the 19th time Madness has been at Rupp Arena.