The Kentucky Wildcats have announced several festivities set for Sept. 5, the day UK football plays in the grand opening game in The New Commonwealth Stadium against UL Lafayette.
Leading up to kickoff, UK will host a free pregame concert featuring Sundy Best (yes, it's Sundy, not Sunday).
"The opening of The New CWS marks the beginning of a new era of Kentucky football and the culmination of a great deal of hard work by many people," Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart said. "We look forward to celebrating with our fans the first game played there with a special environment before and during the game."
Sundy Best is a country duo formed by Kentucky natives Kris Bentley and Nick Jamerson, and their concert will be held next to the Glenn Infiniti of Lexington Green Lot adjacent to Gate 1 of The New CWS.
Matthew Mitchell and the Go Big Blue Band, with the UK women’s basketball head coach serving as lead singer, will open. The concert is set to begin at approximately 3 p.m., with Sundy Best to take the stage at 4 p.m. and break for the Cat Walk at 4:45 p.m.
The national anthem will be performed by a choir composed of singers from each of Kentucky’s 120 counties to celebrate the connection shared between the Bluegrass State and its flagship university. The United States Army Parachute Team, known as the Golden Knights, will deliver the game ball to the field by parachute before the team is introduced on the new field for the first time at 6:55 p.m.
The grand opening of the new stadium will also be celebrated with a number of other events prior to Sept. 5, including a time capsule ceremony.
The New CWS will open next month after a $120 million renovation transformed the longtime home of Kentucky football. The stadium will feature a striking exterior; new concourses, concessions and restrooms; premium-seating areas; new team facilities; and a state-of-the-art recruiting room.