Students have been waiting outside Rupp Arena since Friday night for Kentucky-Arkansas

by:Zack Geoghegan•about 11 hours•

ZGeogheganKSR

The line outside Rupp Arena for Mark Pope's introductory press conference - Aaron Perkins, Kentucky Sports Radio

Kentucky students have been camped outside of Rupp Arena a full day ahead of John Calipari‘s long-awaited return to Lexington.

Calipari brings his Arkansas Razorbacks to town for his first game against the Wildcats since leaving the program after the 2023-24 season. From the moment this game was announced on the SEC schedule several months ago, it’s been circled by every single member of the Big Blue Nation. For most of the students at UK, Calipari is the only Kentucky head coach they’ve ever known.

So they’ve been lining up outside Rupp Arena since Friday night for a game that doesn’t tip off until 9:00 p.m. EST tonight.

“I’m going to clap (for Calipari),” one Kentucky fan told Pig Trail Nation. “He still won us a national championship. I love Coach Cal, love him to death. He’s a great coach. Recent years, our team hasn’t done a great job but I’m hoping eventually he’ll find his success at Arkansas.”

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Talking to Kentucky fans who are already outside Rupp Arena, a full 24 hours before tipoff.

One says, this might be the “biggest game of the decade.” pic.twitter.com/eZz6kZMxmY
— Pig Trail Nation (@PigTrailNation) February 1, 2025

KSR’s Brandon Ramsey drove by Rupp last night around 11 PM and saw dozens of students/fans already outside of Rupp Arena. Some were even tossing a football around in a nearby parking lot. They’ve brought tents and mattresses to endure the long wait. Enjoy these moments while you can, kids…

Just got this from a great friend & UK student who got up at 4a this morning— picked up 5 friends & was in line at Rupp at 5am!
Let’s go!!! pic.twitter.com/5rYLSpZoVy
— Dave Buzz Baker (@buzzbaker) February 1, 2025

All of this is just more confirmation that ESPN royally screwed up by not bringing College Gameday to Lexington. The pregame crowd at Cameron Indoor for Duke-North Carolina is depressing. UK had hundreds of students waiting to just get inside the building in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Rupp Arena would have been filled for College Gameday. The panel has spent half of this morning’s show talking about Kentucky-Arkansas anyway.