#FreeBigZ Billboard by NCAA Office

Dear Big Blue Nation, as many of you know, Kentucky Men’s Basketball’s latest addition to the 2023-24 roster, 7’3” Zvonimir Ivisic, arrived in Lexington in October of 2023, just before the start of the season.

Unfortunately, despite practicing with the team and desperately wanting to contribute to Kentucky’s season by competing in games, the NCAA has not cleared “Big Z” to play. Granted, the process can be tedious and difficult due to Zvonimir’s former amateurism status overseas, but other players at other programs in very similar situations were cleared in the pre-season or early November. (See UCLA’s Aday Mara from Spain and Burke Buyuktuncel from Turkey, both of whom were in the same situation but cleared before December.)

Frankly, it’s asinine that the NCAA is taking long to process Zvonimir’s eligibility and that they still have no answer at this point in the season. Big Z came to Kentucky like so many others to further his career in basketball, and the NCAA are becoming a needless roadblock in this young man’s life and career.

So, the guys at Rupp to No Good, with the help of Big Blue Nation, are seeking to purchase a huge #FreeBigZ billboard DIRECTLY across the intersection at the NCAA Eligibility Center, one that the employees will see every day on the way in and out of the office. Not long ago, #FreeBigZ was a top 10 nationally trending hashtag on Twitter/X, and we’re bringing it back as a good-fun reminder to the NCAA that BBN wants to see Zvonimir play!

$3,600 will cover the expenses related to the rental and material costs of the big blue billboard outside of the NCAA Eligibility Center for a minimum four weeks, plus GoFundMe fees. Extra donations after the cost of the billboard will be donated to charitable causes. We appreciate any and all donations to the cause! Go Cats!