During last week’s second and third rounds of the NCAA Tournament, Kentucky fans flooded the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville in a postseason practice that’s become an annual routine for Big Blue Nation. It was by no means out of the norm for blue to dominate an arena, especially considering the firs two rounds for Kentucky were in its backyard.
But when the Cats head out of state this week for the Sweet 16 and potentially the Elite Eight, UK fans won’t be venturing to a place they’re unfamiliar with. The Georgia Dome in Atlanta, home of Friday’s Sweet 16 South Regional clash between Kentucky and Indiana, is history for Kentucky players and fans.
Of the 11 Southeastern Conference Tournaments that have been held there, five of them have been won by the Wildcats, creating a haven for winning. What was once the largest dome structure in the world will soon be taken over yet again by a sea of blue because, needless to say, Cats fans are used to winning inside the giant cathedral.
Associate Director of Communications for the Alumni Association Kelli Elam said that winning has a lot to do with why Kentucky fans feel so comfortable down in Atlanta.
“To a lot of folks, they consider the Dome as the Rupp Arena of the South,” Elam said. “It’s that feeling of home. The players aren’t scared. The team has played there before and we’ve been to the dome before, but winning is a big reason why we keep coming back.”
Thus, transforming the heart of Georgia into what Kentucky fans have called “Catlanta.”
The demand for tickets this week has been so high that Georgia Dome officials made the decision earlier this week to open up upper-level seating, creating an extra 10,000 tickets to the 22,500-seat lower bowls (the Georgia Dome is sectioned off for this week’s basketball games).
To give the thousands of Kentucky fans flocking to Atlanta something to do this weekend — other than the games, of course — Elam and the UK Alumni Association will be partnering with the Greater Atlanta UK Alumni Club to host a pep rally in the Georgia World Congress Center.
The pep rally takes place at 4 p.m. on Friday before the game and will give fans the opportunity to purchase merchandise, food and drinks before the game. The pep rally, which is $5 for UK Alumni Association members who preregister and $10 for nonmembers and event walk-ups (admission is free for children ages 10 and younger), will also include music and a DJ, plus an appearance by the UK band, cheerleaders and Wildcat mascot.
In addition, UK will have an NCAA-mandated open practice at the Georgia Dome on Thursday from 3:10 p.m. to 4 p.m., plus the city features Centennial Olympic Park, the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola, the CNN Center and the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site.
Whatever fans choose to do in Atlanta this weekend, Georgia spokesman Jason Kirksey is urging fans to plan their trip early. With numerous events going on besides the NCAA Tournament, traffic is expected to be a battle in itself.
“We have several different things going on around the Georgia Dome that is going to create some traffic congestion,” Kirksey said. “The Georgia World Congress Center is hosting one of the largest dental conventions in the Southeast throughout the day, so we’re expecting around 15,000 people in attendance. But along with this, the Atlanta Hawks have a home game across the street at Phillips Arena. Those two things, in addition with the usual Atlanta 5 o’clock (traffic) are going to cause some delays in the area around the Dome.”
With congestion likely around the area, Kirksey said that taking the bus and rail systems that Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority offers will help fans looking to get to and from the Georgia Dome and around the area without much of a delay.
“If at all possible take MARTA to and from the Georgia Dome,” Kirksey says. “Many MARTA stations offer free parking lots and there are two stations that serve the Georgia Dome. But if you do choose to drive, you must purchase your parking spots on gadome.com.”
But a little traffic surely won’t slow the down the Big Blue Nation, as fans from all over Kentucky will make the six-and-a-half hour trip down to Atlanta. UK student Matt Hogue, a junior, will be making the trek to experience his first NCAA Tournament game.
“It’s going to be an experience to remember,” Hogue said. “Everyone that goes to Atlanta are like the super fans because it’s definitely not cheap to go. You’ve really, really got to want to be there.”
Citing the chance to follow the team on an NCAA Tournament run in person, Hogue and some of his friends opted to stay in Lexington during Spring Break last week to go to the student lottery and get tickets.
“At Rupp Arena we have the luxury of packing that thing with UK fans every night, but going down to Georgia is going to be even bigger than that,” Hogue said. “It’s hard to imagine, so it may be overwhelming when I first get there with the fans from different teams and the excitement.”
Hogue said the buildup and anticipation to get to Atlanta is eating away at him, but he’s hoping it won’t be the only dome he’ll be traveling to over the next couple of weeks. The Superdome in New Orleans is home to this year’s Final Four.
If you’re making the trip to Atlanta this weekend and looking for more information on the city, head to exploregeorgia.org. Tickets are still available for Friday’s game at ticketmaster.com.
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