Grove Street Party Will Return to Kroger Field
There was something different about Saturday’s Kentucky football game at Kroger Field, and it wasn’t just the 50 new players on the roster.
When the Wildcats prepared to take the field, a popular refrain was absent from the pregame ceremonies. Cheerleaders and the UK Marching Band lined up just outside of the tunnel, waiting to greet Mark Stoops and the Kentucky Wildcats. When the cameras showed the team inside the tunnel, an unfamiliar song rang through Kroger Field.
“O Fortuna” was the song on the Kroger Field speakers as the Wildcats emerged from the tunnel. It was the same song used for this occasion during Rich Brooks’ best days in Lexington.
The change in the intro made many ask the question, What happened to Grove Street Party?
Grove Street Party became a Kentucky football anthem during Mark Stoops’ first marquee win back in 2014. The Wildcats trailed by 14 in the fourth quarter against South Carolina. As Kentucky mounted a comeback, Grove Street Party played ahead of a kickoff. The entire kickoff team bounced to the song by Waka Flocka Flame, bringing the stadium to a roar. A new tradition was born.
Grove Street Party became ubiquitous with Mark Stoops’ Kentucky football program. The song has regularly served as the entrance music for the team and is played after UK touchdowns. Ahead of Kentucky’s game against Florida in 2021, Waka Flocka Flame traveled to Lexington and introduced the team with his song, then rushed the field with students after the win.
Top 10
- 1Hot
NEW PRACTICE GYM
Only the best for Mark Pope
- 2New
Calzada Practices
UK splitting QB1 reps.
- 3
DAMN GOOD
Hamdan Confident in UK Offense
- 4
Passing Problems
UK has the worst passing attack in FBS
- 5Trending
"Cutter is going to play."
Get ready for the KY kid
Get the Daily On3 Newsletter in your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
There were some folks who questioned during the offseason if Grove Street Party should continue as a Kentucky football tradition. There was a 3-page thread debating its merits in early August on KSBoard. Nevertheless, many were surprised they did not hear the song last Saturday during the win over Toledo. UK says the song will be in the rotation in the future.
“We haven’t removed it and it will be back,” a UK spokesperson told KSR. “We just tried a different route for team walk out and didn’t play it in-game Saturday based on situations and scores.”
If you missed your chance to hear Waka Flocka during a Kentucky football game, do not fret, because this Saturday it’s a party, it’s a party, it’s a party once again at Kroger Field.
Discuss This Article
Comments have moved.
Join the conversation and talk about this article and all things Kentucky Sports in the new KSR Message Board.
KSBoard