history of midnight madness
Former UK coach Joe B. Hall started Midnight Madness at the University of Kentucky in 1982.
According to Hall, he was looking for an
idea to create more excitement for his 1982-83 squad. So they invited the fans in for team
introductions and a scrimmage at 12:01 a.
m. on Oct. 15, 1982. Madness has now grown at a tremendous pace while also spreading to college
and high school programs
across the nation. Lefty Driesell, currently the coach at James Madison, is credited with conducting the
first Midnight Madness when
he was the head coach at Maryland in 1971.
When Midnight Madness started in 1982, it was called "Midnight Special." More than 8,500 fans
attended that first event in 12,000-
seat Memorial Coliseum. Admission was somewhat easier then -- those still arriving near the stroke of
12 a.m. had no problem getting
a seat. But the seed of growth had been planted.
1983 -- More than 10,000 supporters arrived to watch a highly rated Kentucky team led by Sam Bowie,
Melvin Turpin and Kenny
Walker. That team went on to a Final Four finish.
1984 -- Introductions were in order as a new troop of fresh-faced Wildcats took the floor after the
graduations of Bowie, Turpin,
Dickey Beal, Tom Heitz and Jim Master.
1985 -- The Coliseum was rocking as first-year coach Eddie Sutton ushered in a new era.
1986 -- By the time the band started pounding out the fight song at 11:30 p.m., the fire marshal had
already ordered the doors
closed at 9:50 p.m., leaving hundreds of fans outside. Inside, more than 12,500 fans caught the first
glimpse of super-frosh Rex
Chapman and the Wildcats.
1989 -- Rick Pitino was introduced for the first time to a capacity crowd of more than 8,700 (the
Coliseum capacity dropped from
11,500 because of renovation). Fans were caught trying to sneak in the windows and any opening
they could find.
1990 -- Lines began forming at 8:30 a.m. as nearly 10,000 fans helped Kentucky celebrate a "Big Blue
New Year."
1991 -- Fans lined up 36 hours in advance as the Cats were "Back in the Spotlight," eligible for
postseason play for the first time in
the Pitino era. Doors were closed 45 minutes after they opened, the earliest ever. All four recruits who
attended Madness that year --
Rodrick Rhodes, Jared Prickett, Tony Delk and Walter McCarty -- verbally committed to Kentucky the
next week.
1992 -- "Big Boo Madness - A Monster Bash" fell on Halloween night since the NCAA had moved the
start of practice back to Nov. 1.
Once again, doors closed only 45 minutes after they opened, as a capacity crowd watched Jamal
Mashburn and company usher in
the new season.
1993 -- The first fans arrived on Wednesday -- three days early -- and at 12:01 a.m. on Oct. 29, the
Cats were "Rockin' after
Midnight" as a popular senior foursome -- Travis Ford, Rodney Dent, Jeff Brassow and Gimel Martinez
-- led the 1993-94 team into
action.
1994 -- The father and son combination of Robert and Ronald Vallandingham of Smithland, Ky.,
formerly of New Albany, Ind., arrived
on Oct. 10 -- a full five days early. Coach Pitino was the headline attraction. Playing to the theme "Born
To Be Wild," Pitino arrived in
the gym dressed in leather driving a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
1995 -- Wally Clark of Lexington was determined to be "first in line" and arrived 17 days early. The
preseason No. 1 team in the
nation was introduced with the premier of "Cat Fan Forever." Seniors Walter McCarty and Tony Delk
swooped down on ropes from
high above dressed as "Cat"man and Robin.
1996 -- Clark parked himself by the front door on Sept. 10, a full 38 days prior to Big Blue Madness. In
the pre-Madness celebration,
the "Back to Tradition" theme honored the championship teams, including the defending national
champions, as well as former stars.
1997 -- Tickets were passed out five days early a Monday morning and were gone within the first 75
minutes for "Late Night with the
Cats." It was the official introduction of Coach Tubby Smith to the Wildcat faithful, as he made his
appearance high above the floor in
the second deck.
1998 -- The Wildcats, playing to the theme, "The Main Event," were dressed in their favorite
professional wrestling outfits and
introduced down through the UK crowd. Later, they celebrated their NCAA Championship from the
previous season by unveiling a
new championship banner on the Coliseum's "Wall of Champions."
1999 -- The tickets were again distributed a week early and vanished in 27 minutes for "America's
Team of the Century." Making a
very special, and surprise, appearance was newly crowned Miss America, Heather Renee French, from
Maysville, Ky. To thunderous
applause, Coach Tubby Smith escorted her to center court.
2000 -- Tickets were offered on the Internet for the first time and all 700 were distributed in 13 minutes.
The remaining 8,000 were
gone in 10 minutes to those waiting in line. "Survivor," a take-off from the popular television show that
summer, was the theme for the
annual event.
2001 -- A week before the event, all 8,000 of the tickets were gone in less than an hour after Internet
and window distributions. The
Wildcats celebrated the 20th anniversary of the event by revisiting the "Midnight Special," theme,
celebrating the last two decades of
Madness.
2002 -- Again, Midnight Madness tickets were gone in less than one hour. Shortly after midnight, each
player was introduced and
one by one they darted to center court sporting a slick head, presumably an act of unity. There were
big smiles and high fives all
around. Each player introduced an alumni member of past Wildcats teams. Cotton Nash, Sam Bowie,
James Lee, Richie Farmer, Kyle
Macy, Winston Bennett, Jeff Brassow, Jeff Sheppard, Saul Smith, Adrian Smith, Jim LeMaster, and
others were along for the
festivities. Each current player provided the introduction for his prestigious counter part and joined
them center court. It was truly a
memorable moment to help commemorate Kentucky basketball’s 100th season.
And here's some icing for the cake. A giant Kentucky Basketball 100th Anniversary Birthday cake was
brought to center court prior to
the player introductions. As if that wasn't enough, Mr. Wildcat, Bill Keightley, jumps out of the cake.
2003 --Kentucky held Big Blue Madness for the 22nd consecutive year and like the others a ticket was
hard to come by. The 8,700
tickets available were distributed in 47 minutes last weekend.
This year's theme was "The Future of Kentucky Basketball" as the program began its 101st season.
"I tell our players all the time that no one person is bigger than the program," Wildcats coach Tubby
Smith said. "I have an analogy I
tell them, to put your hand in a bucket of water and take it out. Do you see any water missing?"
As the men's team was introduced to the crowd, a small fire developed on one of the suspended
spotlights in the arena. Maintenance
workers quickly extinguished the fire and turned off the light.
2004 -- Big Blue fans catch their first glimpse of the new Wildcats – including six newcomers and the
nation's No. 1 rated recruiting
class – at 12:01 a.m., marking the first day practice can officially begin.
Newcomers that have taken the spotlight are the trio of McDonalds All Americans Joe Crawford,
Randolph Morris and Rajon Rondo.
“This is Kentucky Basketball” was the theme for the 2004 Madness. The fun-filled evening was packed
with contests, specially-made
videos and spoof commercials featuring the UK men’s and women’s players, plus special guests like
former UK players Kenny
Walker, Sam Bowie and Richie Farmer, plus famous fan Ashley Judd. Rajon Rondo was everybody’s
choice in the slam dunk
exhibition.
2005 -- Since the inception of Big Blue Madness in 1982, it had been held in on-campus Memorial
Coliseum, where the Wildcats
played their home games during the tenure of legendary coach Adolph Rupp. That facility has about
8,700 seats, but its capacity
now is limited to 5,600 because of ongoing construction of an adjacent practice facility.
The event's move to Rupp Arena - where Kentucky now plays its home games - coincides with the 30th
anniversary of that downtown
facility.
23,174 fans filled Rupp Arena to overflowing for Kentucky's Big Blue Madness, held annually on the
date when the NCAA allows
basketball teams to begin practicing.
Kentucky, which spends the vast majority of its men's basketball marketing budget on the event,
planned to include touches like a
propane torch that shot fireballs 30 feet into the air during player introductions. Kentucky brought in
Jon Mason, the public address
announcer for the NBA's Detroit Pistons, to do the introductions. (Former Kentucky standout Tayshaun
Prince plays for the Pistons.)
2006 -- Once again, Kentucky fans have demonstrated an insatiable appetite for basketball. Over
21,000 tickets to the 2006 Big Blue
Madness were snapped up in the first half hour of availability Saturday morning. By Saturday
afternoon, all 23,000 tickets had been
distributed. Madness, the official start of UK's basketball practice, will be held at Rupp Arena for the
second-straight year.
Hundreds of fans were present at UK's Memorial Coliseum ticket office Saturday at 8 a.m. when the
distribution of free tickets began.
Others obtained their tickets via the school's Website, ukathletics.com, and at TicketMaster locations
throughout Kentucky.
Less than 1,000 tickets remained available as of 9:30 a.m. Saturday. Fans wishing to acquire one of
the last tickets can do so online
and at TicketMaster.
Big Blue Madness, scheduled for Friday, Oct. 13, is the official start of basketball practice for
Kentucky's men's and women's teams.
UK set a national record last year when 23,174 fans showed up for the first Madness at Rupp Arena.
Big Blue Madness had been
held at 8,700-seat Memorial Coliseum since the event's inception in 1982.
Coach Tubby Smith says this year "is a little more exciting" for Kentucky, and a record crowd packed
Rupp Arena on Friday night to
see what he was talking about at Big Blue Madness.
A total of 23,312 fans turned out for the opening practice, breaking the national record for spectators
at a practice, according to
basketball spokesman Scott Stricklin.
Junior guard Joe Crawford did not participate and will miss the first few practices of the season after
undergoing minor surgery, Smith
said.
In addition to a 20-minute scrimmage, the event featured a slam dunk contest, as well as a 3-point
competition between senior Bobby
Perry and former UK standout Kyle Macy, who emceed the proceedings.
Perry won the contest 10-9.
2007-- Flames shot in the air evoking images of the Wizard of Oz. Appropriate imagery since Billy
Gillispie stood hidden behind
curtains at midcourt.
Then the public address announcer introduced Kentucky's new coach, the curtains dropped, and
Gillispie waved and pumped his
fist. Everyone paid full attention to the man behind the curtain. The Big Blue Madness served to usher
in the dawning of UK
basketball's Gillispie Era. A Madness record crowd of 23,313 treated the new era of kentucky
basketball as a fresh start.
MIDNIGHT MADNESS