LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky women’s basketball coach Kyra Elzy rappelled from the Rupp Arena ceiling. Kentucky men’s basketball coach John Calipari addressed a frenzied crowd from a podium. And the 2021-22 Kentucky basketball seasons officially began with Big Blue Madness.
“Can I just say — boy, have I missed that roar,” Calipari said, opening his stump speech.
Nearly two years after the UK men's promising 2019-20 campaign was ended by the pandemic and a year after their horrid 2020-21 season was played in front of only 3,075 fans per game, thousands poured into Rupp to watch basketball practice on Friday evening.