By Clark Brooks

When you see people camping out at the intersection of the Avenue of Champions and Lexington Avenue in the beginning of the fall season, it means only one thing: Big Blue Madness is near.

The event marks the beginning of the UK basketball season with the team’s first practice of the year.

UK fans come from around the state — many eager all year for the sport to begin — to get tickets for Big Blue Madness for the chance to watch the Cats tip-off their season.

“I’m visiting from California to get primo seats,” UK alum D.J. Saltigerald said. “Basketball season is what UK fans live for.”

Big Blue Madness has been a tradition at UK since 1982 when former UK basketball head coach Joe B. Hall started the event. Since then, UK fans have lined up year after year to watch the team’s first practice.

“Big Blue Madness gives people an opportunity to feel a part of the UK tradition,” said UK fan Diana McDonald of Shephardsville, Ky. “Most die-hard fans can’t get their hands on (season game) tickets, so this is our best chance of being heard.”

Many out of state residents find the craze of camping out for tickets to a team’s practice hard to grasp, but Ben Hochstetler, a UK alum from West Virginia, said it takes coming to campus to understand the intensity of the team’s following.

“I was born in West Virginia, and really wasn’t a UK fan growing up,” Hochstetler said. “But, once I got on campus, I have bled blue ever since. UK just has incredible tradition that no other school in the country has.”

Fans begin camping outside of the Memorial Coliseum ticket office days before tickets go on sale and enjoy playing corn hole, Frisbee and meeting other die-hard UK basketball fans.

“Buying tickets from Ticketmaster is no fun,” freshman Matt Ivory said. “That’s something a Duke fan would do.”

Big Blue Madness gives Cats fans from across the state a chance to see all the new players in action for the first time. Others just want to see the big name players from the previous season bounce back.

“I’m looking forward to see Patrick Patterson,” said Jacob Fowler of Frankfort. “He was the heart and soul of the team last year, so I hope he can be ready for this season.”

Tickets go on sale Friday morning at 7 at the Memorial Coliseum ticket office. Big Blue Madness is Oct. 10 at 9 p.m. at Rupp Arena.