Why is it not played annually? Is there tension between UC and UK?


Jackson

Kentucky is VERY arrogant, trust me. People think it's hyperbole but they are REALLY arrogant. Kentucky is using the "Stall ball" game from 22 years ago when UC held the ball on every possession resulting in a game that Kentucky won 24-11. Bob Huggins took an undermanned UC team in his 2nd year into the Shoe and almost upset a power Kentucky squad. In reality, Kentucky doesn't want to play UC because they hate having another national power in their own backyard. That's why they hate Louisville. Kentucky administration have used the excuse that they won't play UC because they have nothing to gain and everything to lose playing a C-USA school. Seriously. But that won't be an excuse they can use. I mentioned this on the UC message board, and I think it goes for Ohio State football vs UC. The move to the Big East is going to hurt our chances at scheduling them in the future because UC is going to have the talent to compete with them on a level playing field. UC basketball is going to bring in enough talent, on paper, next year where we're going to be able to compete against Kentucky man for man, athlete for athlete, bench for bench, so good luck getting them on the schedule again. UC football plays Ohio State tough every year, the only reason we lose to them most of the time is a lack of depth, something C-USA didn't allow us to get. The Big East will allow us to get enough depth to hang with a team like Ohio State and pull off an upset here and there. Anyway, that's pretty much it. Kentucky hates having another national power in the area and they would have a mutiny if UC ever beat them, especially if we ever went up to Lexington and took them down. UC has already showed that they're not scared of them in the NCAA Tournament in front of 40,000 people we sure as heck aren't intimidated of Rupp Arena.

Very well put!

You know, to tell you the truth, I don't blame UK for not playing UC. First of all, they have 1 forced game, UL. Next, you have contracts with 2 programs that are nationally perceived as better, UNC and Kansas. Then you have Indiana, a school who they have been playing forever.

UC shouldn't jump over any of them, IMO. They need to be able to get enough wins to be tourney eligible (20+), so you need to schedule some cupcakes (just like UC does). Then you need to make sure you have enough home games to bring in the money to fund your program (and all the minor sports it helps to support).

I'd love to see UK play UC on a rotating basis with UNC, Kansas, and UC, but I don't see it happening. It just won't work out until CBS, ABC/ESPN, or someone else comes along and offers big time money to both schools to show it.

After last night, one of those stations might fork up some cash. 40,000 people plus who knows how many watching on TV. But the game can not be every year or it will go stale

The media is making a bigger deal out of this than anyone. They do this to try to drum up callers for their sports talk shows.

UCand UK schedules are just fine w/o the need to play each other.

They could revive the BIG 4 classic in INDY with IU vs UL and UCvs UK. Tell me that wouldn't be awesome. It would also be a big payday for all 4 schools.

Another thing that kind of bothers me is all this talk of 40K for the game... 20K of the fans were Illinois fans there for the 1st game. Yes, there were a lot of UK and UC fans (more UK), but don't talk it up like it was all UC vs UK that brought in those fans.

mlbUC Wrote:Another thing that kind of bothers me is all this talk of 40K for the game... 20K of the fans were Illinois fans there for the 1st game. Yes, there were a lot of UK and UC fans (more UK), but don't talk it up like it was all UC vs UK that brought in those fans.

20,000+ for a game ain't that bad

The game obviously couldn't be played every year, but I would like to see it more often than every 15 years. A 3, 4, or 5 year rotation would be excellent.

UC vs. UK would draw 40,000 fans by itself.

Has there been any talk about UC/UK meeting in football? Or is that out of the question because of the bball tensions



Jackson

Jackson1011 Wrote:Has there been any talk about UC/UK meeting in football? Or is that out of the question because of the bball tensions



Jackson

Both schools have played on and off in football. I think that series would be restarted before a basketball series would.

We'd kill them in football

Kentucky and Indiana would be great regional additions to the football schedule. I hope it happens.

I feel that UC's chances of playing IU in football is greater than that against UK, since former Miami U coach Terry Hoeppner is now at IU and could use the game as a way to keep ties with the SW Ohio recruits.

Kentucky has 4 home SEC games every and 4 away. They have 1 home game and 1 road game OOC every year (Louisville and Indiana). That leaves just one opening, which must be a 1 and done every year for UK to get 6 home games. Take a look at the past UK schedules since Louisville became an annual game, you'll see 1-AAs, MACs taking up the last OOC slot.

UK won't even have the option of playing Cincy in football until the 12 game schedule is official.