Mark Pope is 'down to the wire' pushing for 'special' Big Blue Madness surprises

Mark Pope nailed his first Big Blue Madness as head coach, pulling out all the stops to give the most passionate fanbase in the sport exactly what it was looking for to begin a new era of Kentucky basketball. We knew about the ASB GlassFloor ahead of time — partly because that’s not necessarily something you can keep a secret for too long — and that exceeded all expectations in a truly one-of-a-kind viewing experience. From there, Rick Pitino‘s return to Rupp Arena as a hero rather than a villain was decades in the making, nailed by Pope and something we’ll all remember forever.

Elsewhere, Mark Stoops’ Big Blue Madness debut with the basketball court transitioning into a football field felt right in the moment, even if it aged like milk. Fans loved the not-so-subtle jab at Coach Cal and the theme of togetherness among all coaches on campus, a fresh start for everyone. No comment on where things stand today — probably safe to say Stoops won’t be making a follow-up appearance with so much work to do.

Overall, it was nostalgic and new as the generations of Kentucky basketball came together under one roof, everyone from Doron Lamb to Willie Cauley-Stein to Richie Farmer to Goose Givens to Kyle Macy to Eddie Montgomery. They were all there to support Pope and the newest batch of Wildcats.

What’s in store for year two? Matt Jones hinted at some potential surprises earlier in the week, and now, Coach Pope has confirmed he’s got something — and maybe some things — up his sleeve for Saturday night. It comes down to whether or not Kentucky can pull it off in time, starting with the BBN United Fan Fest in the hours leading up to Big Blue Madness.

“It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be everything,” Pope said of Fan Fest in a one-on-one interview with KSR on Friday. “There are some things I’m not allowed to say, because they’re going to be surprises, which I think will be so awesome.”

Fan Fest will include a Q&A with Pope, an X’s and O’s breakdown, autograph signings and photos with the team, along with food trucks and booths — plus championship trophies on display, team equipment collections, inflatables, tattoos, balloon artists and more. TBD on the surprises.

From there, it comes down to the historic event itself and just how big he can make this thing.

“We are down to the wire working on a couple of special things,” Pope continued. “Wherever we end up, it’s gonna be — come on, it’s Big Blue Madness! There’s nothing like it. It’s going to be great.”

Will John Wall make his return, dropping from the ceiling and doing his iconic dance? Anything tied to Tyran Stokes’ potential commitment? Special guests or alums? Drake returning or Lil Wayne making his debut after years of rumors suggesting those possibilities?

We’ll find out on Saturday.