Three days remain till Kentucky kicks off its 2018 season at Kroger Field, and many tickets for Saturday’s game still remain to be sold.

According to a UK spokesperson, 42,000 tickets have been distributed for Saturday’s home game against Central Michigan as of Wednesday afternoon. That is only a slight increase in ticket sales since Aug. 23, when Jen Smith of the Lexington Herald-Leader published a report on ticket sales. 

While Mark Stoops has been the head coach at Kentucky, there has never been a home opener with fewer than 50,000 fans in attendance. Last year, 54,868 fans came to Kroger Field for Kentucky’s home opener against Eastern Kentucky.

In Kentucky’s five home openers with Stoops as head coach, UK has averaged an attendance of 56,055 fans.

“I appreciate the people that are coming, I realize that it takes a lot,” Stoops said of the declining ticket sales. “I understand the complaints and it is expensive and it takes a long time and it is hard to park.”

Only twice has Kentucky had fewer than 50,000 people in attendance during the Stoops-era, both of which took place in 2016.

Last season, Kroger Field averaged an attendance of 56,468 for the seven home games.

“It is not just some silly cliché, but it takes all of us all the time,” Stoops said of the fan support. “We need a bunch of people to build this program the way that we want to be.”

Tickets for Saturday’s game cost as low as $32 and there are plenty of seats available. 

Kickoff against Central Michigan is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.