SHOCKER! Blue gets in again: "They find ways to get in sell-out games."

This was hyped up to be an all-time Florida basketball crowd, the Gators pulling out all of the stops with Kentucky coming to town. Brand-new orange uniforms, orange shirts, students returning to campus early from winter break, the whole nine yards.

So how is it that you could hear Go Big Blue chants loud and clear through the television broadcast on ESPN? Well, because BBN is different. Unlike any other fanbase in college basketball, the best of the best. And it ain’t close.

John Calipari noticed, like always. When asked about his team’s response in Kentucky’s first hostile road environment, it’s the first thing he brought up.

“Yeah, but we had a lot of blue down here,” he said.

Florida announced this game as a sell-out back on December 26 — all 10,133 seats filled inside the O’Dome. What the Gators didn’t expect, though, was a strong fan showing from their conference rival. Big Blue Nation made a statement.

“It’s crazy. … I know what this program means to them,” Calipari said. “They find ways to get in sell-out games. I wonder what they did with the orange t-shirt that was on their chair? Because it was another t-shirt game.”

BBN made itself right at home as the clock struck zero, turning the road venue into Rupp Arena as fans stuck around asking for pictures and autographs, players happy to oblige.

#BBN on the road! pic.twitter.com/WCpe5DEAe7

— UK Sports Network (@UKSportsNetwork) January 6, 2024

That’s six straight wins in the O’Connell Center, for those keeping track at home.

“It’s tough losing like that and not protecting our home floor,” Florida guard Walter Clayton said after the game.

Sorry to ruin your weekend, Gators. Again.