In May 2021, UK announced that Kroger Field would be returning to full capacity for the first time since COVID- 19 shut down in-person sporting events. Students and spectators have felt the excitement to get back in the stadium. 

Once the Wildcats picked up a winning streak that lasted from their first regular season football game until an upset by Mississippi State, student tickets began selling out quickly. Bigger games like Florida on Oct. 2 and Tennessee on Nov. 6 completely sold out before game day.

“With everything selling out so quickly, it’s impossible to claim your tickets,” said sophomore John Dougherty. “Kentucky should consider expanding the stadium.” 

With the growing demand, people are trying to resell their student tickets at a much higher price than what they paid for them. 

“It is already impossible to get a ticket, and then you have people thinking they are Jordan Belfort, attempting to sell their $11 tickets for $200,” said junior Haley Wilson. 

Although student tickets are hard to come by, freshman Katie Hutchinson said purchasing a season pass has helped her.

“Since I have the season pass, I can get tickets earlier than most people,” Hutchinson said. “As a freshman, I knew that I wanted to experience as much as possible and have never missed getting a ticket.” 

Despite Hutchinson’s advantages, she said she still had difficulty purchasing guest tickets.

“My friend ended up paying $120 where she would have normally paid $80,” Hutchinson said. “Regardless, I have been lucky to see some really cool games in a packed stadium. The energy has just been insane.” 

Even students who have been able to obtain student tickets or season passes have faced issues with the website. Sophomore Joey Rotondi, who bought a student season pass, has attended every home football game, although he said he has encountered some roadblocks along the way. 

“It has been really nice [because] I don’t have to scramble for the big games, even though they’ll sell your ticket if you don’t claim it in a specific time frame,” Rotondi said. “Although I haven’t had any issues lately, when I tried to buy the pass, I had to email a few different people due to issues with my account, which was an inconvenience.”

Football season passes sold out quickly, and basketball season passes went even faster. The first regular season home basketball game is Nov. 12, and season passes are already gone. 

“I went to get tickets as soon as they went on sale, and the website crashed,” said sophomore Claire Osborne. “I finally was able to get a season pass, except I won’t be able to claim my tickets for the first five games. They’re already sold out.”

To purchase single-game tickets for basketball games and the remaining football games, students can download the UK Athletics app or visit their website.