Fan Erin Waggoner Twice Almost Had Her Consecutive Home Game Streak Ended

Erin Waggoner with her father when College GameDay came to UK in 2007.

Erin Waggoner goes into this season having attended 144 consecutive Kentucky home football games, a streak she plans to extend starting Aug. 31 when the Cats host Southern Mississippi.

She’s had some memorable moments in her streak, including UK’s 71-63 seven-overtime loss to Arkansas the first year she had two season tickets in 2003.

When her streak reached 50 games, friends hosted a special birthday tailgate party for her with “Happy 50th” balloons and cake that confused some UK fans because at the time Waggoner was only 31 years old.

She still remembers a 2008 home loss to Vanderbilt when she didn’t let the rain and cold break her streak. She was also there for former UK coach Joker Phillips’ final home game against Vanderbilt when very few fans attended.

Twice she came close to having her streak that started in 2003 end.

“I had a friend get us tickets in one of the suites for the last home game (Middle Tennessee) in 2018. Sadly, my dad’s health was failing and he was admitted to a Hospice facility the day before the game,” she said. “When my mom called me, I told her I was on my way, but she quickly stopped me. ‘Your Dad would not want you to miss a home game!’ and you know what, I knew she was right.

“I stayed (at the game). That game was bittersweet — so cool to be in a suite for the first time, but I knew what was waiting for me when I did finally go home.”

After her dad passed, one of his pallbearers was a huge Louisville fan.

“When I saw him the day of the funeral, I did a double take because he was in a UK sweater. ‘I knew this is what George would’ve wanted,’ he told me,” she said.

Her next scare came when she tripped taking out her trash on Aug. 17, 2021 and shattered her right ankle and sprained her left ankle.

“I had to call 911 from my Apple Watch because I didn’t even have my phone with me,” Waggoner said. “After 12 hours in the ER, I left in a wheelchair with both legs in casts. The first thing I did when I woke up the next day? Emailed the ticket office and asked if I could have wheelchair accessible tickets for the season.

“They obliged. I had surgery to set the right ankle on Aug 26. First thing I asked in the pre-op was ‘could I go to the season opener.’”

Her doctor gave her the okay, so nine days later a friend pushed her in a wheelchair from the orange lot to the new seats.

She’ll actually be back in her seats Saturday because she’s getting married at Kroger Field and plans to take a selfie with her husband in her game seats.