Today is the 8-Year Anniversary of #OccupyMemorial

Tonight, Kentucky takes on Vanderbilt in Nashville. How appropriate is it that the game takes place on the eight-year anniversary of #OccupyMemorial, the day 500 brave members of the Big Blue Nation crashed College Gameday and the No. 1 Wildcats beat Vanderbilt 69-63 en route to the program’s eighth national title?

#OccupyMemorial is an event most remembered for Digger Phelps’ lecture, which I filmed from the third level of Memorial Gym. That video quickly went viral, appearing on Deadspin and ensuring that the phrase “Listen to Me!” will forever be in the Kentucky Basketball lexicon.

A lot of other fun stuff happened that day, so join me for a ride down memory lane…

Vandy fans and officials were VERY upset

The actual Kentucky/Vanderbilt game didn’t tip off until 8 p.m. CT that night, but Kentucky fans started congregating at the McDonald’s at the crack of dawn to begin our march across West End to Memorial Gym for the College Gameday taping. We even had a map:

Vanderbilt caught wind of #OccupyMemorial and was ready. As we arrived at the arena, everyone in blue (approximately 500 fans) was escorted to the third level and signs were confiscated (former KSR writers Ally Tucker, Tara Bilby, and Laura Leigh Rossoll went undercover in the Vandy student section).

We met Helmet Guy

Once the occupation was over, fans went to Corner Pub Midtown (RIP) to celebrate. Some of us enjoyed ourselves so much we didn’t make it to tip off. Right, Helmet Guy?

Anthony Davis Said No

As for the game itself, Vanderbilt kept it close, but Anthony Davis did as Anthony Davis does, shutting the door on an upset bid with his seventh block of the game with 47 seconds left. Oddly, I can’t find a highlight reel with that play, but you can enjoy the rest of the game’s big moments below:

Eight-year anniversaries are best celebrated with 15-point wins, right?