scheduling of Florida

[BobbyK49]

I am 100% certain that five or six years ago I heard Mitch Barnhart say in an interview that the SEC was going to get away from always scheduling the Florida game in early or mid-September. Does anyone know if this still the case?

I know that final game opponents are often set, but is there any other Power 5 Conference that makes sure two teams always play their game at a certain time of the season? Are there other teams in the SEC who automatically play their conference game against each other in this manner? Off the top of my head I can't think of one but please correct me if I'm wrong.

To me, it was never just coincidental that the last time we beat FL on a cold, dreary day in November the SEC made sure that FL would never have to travel to Kentucky any later than mid-September.

I've seen people write over the years that this really doesn't give FL an advantage but I think that is total crap. There are several reasons why being the northern-most school in the SEC puts UK at a disadvantage but this policy of the SEC just screams of blatant favoritism towards one of their "power" teams.

If nothing else I think UK and its fans deserve an explanation from the SEC as to why they make the UK/FL game the only conference game scheduled in this manner. I know that they would never come out and say it's to give FL an advantage, but for the life of me I can't think of any other reason to schedule this game the way they do.

 

[JBHolmesfan]

I think Alabama and Tennessee play the same week every year or maybe it's Florida and Tennessee. Then you have all the rivalry matchups that are set for a specific week. I'm with you, I'm not sure why the Florida game is the same week every year.

 

[truebluewildcat_rivals34254]

I actually think that getting a big boy like florida, uga, ut, early on gives us a good chance to knock them off. Especially if it's at home.

By late october and definitely november UK is typically at a distinct disadvantage because the gauntlet of the SEC can take a greater toll on us as we are traditionally not as deep as those programs.

Just look at this year. Between Sept 17 and Oct 29 we're rolling, 5-1, but that comes at a cost as the rough road catches up to us in a close game to UGA which temporarily takes the wind out of our sails and we get steam rolled at UT.

I'd prefer to start out of the gate with a florida, especially now since we seem to have a program in the making. Next year would have been a great time to start off with somebody big as we will be returning a talented and experienced two deep.

My ideal schedule looks something like the following:

Florida
*** Scratcher State
UT
Vandy
UGA
Northwestern Southeastern Wesleyan Poly Tech Pacific Coast Campus for online students
Miss St
Mizzou
Ole Miss
YMCA tuesday night league flag all stars
SC
Bye
UL

Get a big boy early whether it's Florida, UGA, UT, which gives us an opportunity to steal one before they hit mid season form or it gets an *** whooping/tough loss out of the way early and the team can put it behind them...Puff teams strategically spread out to break up the SEC gauntlet...never more than 3 conference games in a row...never a stretch of consecutive big dogs...bye week heading into UL...

 

[Shydog]

I was at the Swamp this year for the first time and it was so hot it was sickening! It was actually kind of cruel to make anyone play in that kind of heat.Cat fans were miserable but not the Gator fans it seemed so that indicates to me they are more acclimated than we were. Huge advantage for the Gators to play us early and also in the afternoon rather than at night.

 

[Anon1660081258]

I disagree about Florida in particular. I would much enjoy seeing them visit CWS in mid-November. 35 degrees and raining. Why not? Is it fair for us to head down there every other year to play in 95 degree heat with 95% humidity?

 

[DACats86]

This is a story I have told on here countless times, but bears repeating. There is one person to "thank" for UK being locked in to play UF in September - C.M Newton. For years, UF begged, pleaded and cajoled the SEC office to move the UK game to early in the season. The SEC said that UK had to agree before they would make the move. None of the UK AD's before Newton would agree to move the game. As soon as Newton was in place as AD, he agreed to move it. He also agreed for UK to play UF two consecutive seasons in the Swamp to "balance out the schedule" (allegedly so UK would not have to play UF and UT both on the road every other year). To thank Newton for his cooperation, UF administered two two of the worst beatdowns in UK's history in those two games played at the Swamp. In UK's history there has not been one single person more damaging to UK football than C.M. Newton, yet his name remains on the stadium...

 

[Anon1660081258]

His name does need to come off the field. Would it be too much to ask the Crafts to pay to put Blanton Collier's and Jerry Claiborne's names on it?

CWS at Collier-Claiborne Field.

 

[The_Oak]

I've been wanting this game moved for as long as I can remember. Just swap it with the UT game, I'd rather play UT earlier in the season and actually make UF come up here during late October/ November. No way this will ever happen, UF would be too chicken **** to ever make that scheduling move.

 

[TuckyFB]

This is a story I have told on here countless times, but bears repeating. There is one person to "thank" for UK being locked in to play UF in September - C.M Newton. For years, UF begged, pleaded and cajoled the SEC office to move the UK game to early in the season. The SEC said that UK had to agree before they would make the move. None of the UK AD's before Newton would agree to move the game. As soon as Newton was in place as AD, he agreed to move it. He also agreed for UK to play UF two consecutive seasons in the Swamp to "balance out the schedule" (allegedly so UK would not have to play UF and UT both on the road every other year). To thank Newton for his cooperation, UF administered two two of the worst beatdowns in UK's history in those two games played at the Swamp. In UK's history there has not been one single person more damaging to UK football than C.M. Newton, yet his name remains on the stadium...

I second this 10000x times.

His name should've been removed from the stadium years ago.

 

[truebluewildcat_rivals34254]

If SJ wins a bowl game and follows up with a 9 win campaign next year, I say Stephen Johnson field works.

...and CWS can be renamed Wildcat Lair

 

[NavyCat88]

For years, I have heard the argument "if we can just get them up here in Nov....we will have a better chance of beating them." I don't agree, but if it were true....there would have to be two underlying assumptions:
(1) The 'Cats are unable to play well in early season G-ville heat, and
(2) The Gators are unable to play well in late season Lexington cold.

Well....being a SEC team, there is no excuse for not being able to play in the heat. OBTW, it is plenty hot in Lexington in the early season, so it isn't as though we can't/or shouldn't be able to perform in the heat...anywhere. The idea that we would use weather as an excuse is borderline shameful anyway.

In addition, it is seldom U-of-Michigan cold in Lexington in November. I can't remember the last big snow storm in Lexington during a FB game. Light dusting at the most. Either way, the Gators play a pretty good game in the moderately cooler Lexington-Nov weather too. I doubt they would be sidetracked by some wind, rain, cold....maybe even snow.

Our recent close losses to UF have been far from weather related...more sideline and player driven losses than anything else. We're turning into a FB team now.....time to stop the excuses and win on our own merits....anywhere.....any time.
GBB!

 

[Shydog]

navycat ,I probably would have agreed with what you say if I hadn't experienced the heat at the swamp this year. I have spent a lot of time in FL over the years, worked in an extremely hot environment for years, and I am actually a "hot weather lover" but the heat in that stadium last Sept was just literally unbearable. It really is not fair to expect kids used to KY weather, even though it can be very hot, to perform in that kind of temps.

 

[JasonS.]

Don't hold your breath. After taking two home games away from them this year, the SEC owes Florida about a decade of scheduling favors.

 

[ukalum1988]

This is a story I have told on here countless times, but bears repeating. There is one person to "thank" for UK being locked in to play UF in September - C.M Newton. For years, UF begged, pleaded and cajoled the SEC office to move the UK game to early in the season. The SEC said that UK had to agree before they would make the move. None of the UK AD's before Newton would agree to move the game. As soon as Newton was in place as AD, he agreed to move it. He also agreed for UK to play UF two consecutive seasons in the Swamp to "balance out the schedule" (allegedly so UK would not have to play UF and UT both on the road every other year). To thank Newton for his cooperation, UF administered two two of the worst beatdowns in UK's history in those two games played at the Swamp. In UK's history there has not been one single person more damaging to UK football than C.M. Newton, yet his name remains on the stadium...

Yeah, we used to play the Gators and the Vols back to back to close out the season. I believe it was Spurrier's first season in 1990 that would be the last time the Gators would play in Lexington in November. IIRC, it was 1992 that we played the Gators in Gainesville, because the following year in '93 we had the heartbreak loss to them in Lexington.

As a result of Newton's football management savvy, we now play both the Gators and the Vols either home or away in the same season. I was hoping that the stadium renovation would a great opportunity to take his name off the stadium but unfortunately my hope has been dashed.

 

[CB3UK]

I've been wanting this game moved for as long as I can remember. Just swap it with the UT game, I'd rather play UT earlier in the season and actually make UF come up here during late October/ November. No way this will ever happen, UF would be too chicken **** to ever make that scheduling move.

Been wanting this for years. I'd much rather get Tennessee early when they havent figured anything out and Florida late when we're finally firing on all cylinders.

 

[Gary4UK]

I actually think that getting a big boy like florida, uga, ut, early on gives us a good chance to knock them off. Especially if it's at home.

By late october and definitely november UK is typically at a distinct disadvantage because the gauntlet of the SEC can take a greater toll on us as we are traditionally not as deep as those programs.

Just look at this year. Between Sept 17 and Oct 29 we're rolling, 5-1, but that comes at a cost as the rough road catches up to us in a close game to UGA which temporarily takes the wind out of our sails and we get steam rolled at UT.

I'd prefer to start out of the gate with a florida, especially now since we seem to have a program in the making. Next year would have been a great time to start off with somebody big as we will be returning a talented and experienced two deep.

My ideal schedule looks something like the following:

Florida
*** Scratcher State
UT
Vandy
UGA
Northwestern Southeastern Wesleyan Poly Tech Pacific Coast Campus for online students
Miss St
Mizzou
Ole Miss
YMCA tuesday night league flag all stars
SC
Bye
UL

Get a big boy early whether it's Florida, UGA, UT, which gives us an opportunity to steal one before they hit mid season form or it gets an *** whooping/tough loss out of the way early and the team can put it behind them...Puff teams strategically spread out to break up the SEC gauntlet...never more than 3 conference games in a row...never a stretch of consecutive big dogs...bye week heading into UL...

Seriously? Hows that been working for you? Florida has won something like 30 games in a row! Lets try it in the colder months... I don't think they should be the one to get the free pass... UL always liked the first game of the season....I like them at the last game of the season, even though they won 5 out of the last 6 games...We won 5 out of the last 10 games against UL... So, I think we need to shake things up some...

 

[truebluewildcat_rivals34254]

Seriously? Hows that been working for you? Florida has won something like 30 games in a row! Lets try it in the colder months... I don't think they should be the one to get the free pass... UL always liked the first game of the season....I like them at the last game of the season, even though they won 5 out of the last 6 games...We won 5 out of the last 10 games against UL... So, I think we need to shake things up some...

Folks, it wasn't bone chilling cold the last few games at CWS...

The idea that some snowflakes are going to totally throw off some of the best athletes and football players is ridiculous.

Also, I'm not saying the first game has to be Florida, I'm just saying I would like to see a big boy early. It can alternate between UGA, UT, and Fla. Sure the years UT and/or UGA are scheduled early on, schedule Fla late, that's fine.

For me it's not about weather but strategic spacing of games, placement of cream puffs, and timing of match ups.

Florida simply isn't going to go for it, at least not every year. They may agree to a change up here and there. Let's be honest, if it's UK and UF at the SEC table, Gators are going to have more power. So in the 9 out of 10 years that Florida says they'd like to play in CWS in warmer weather, lets give the warmest and get them right out of the gates before they have a chance to hit their stride.

 

[Shydog]

you wasn't at the AP game were you? I am still not thawed out!

 

[cardkilla_rivals379685]

I disagree about Florida in particular. I would much enjoy seeing them visit CWS in mid-November. 35 degrees and raining. Why not? Is it fair for us to head down there every other year to play in 95 degree heat with 95% humidity?

When has UK played a game in mid-November that was near freezing and raining? I bet it was quite awhile back. Point being cold vs hot is way overblown in making much of a difference. Rarely is an issue and UK has and will have more and more Florida guys on their roster so it would have minuscule effect on the game. IMO just another way for some folks to attack Barnhart... as if he's all powerful and can simply demand that we play certain teams in certain weeks.

I also like playing them early. Most healthy the team usually is and better shot IMO for an upset.

 

[mtn cat1]

I want the game to be played in November when it's a little colder for those sunshine boys!

 

[law1127]

I was at CWS the last time we beat Florida ,and the weather was definitely a major factor! It was colder than hell,and seemed to freeze the Fla players. I also blame C.M. for conceding this date to play the game ,as he didn't care about football as much as bb,and clearing the fan interest from interfering with bb. Remove his name from CWS,could not happen quick enough!

 

[Kats23]

navycat ,I probably would have agreed with what you say if I hadn't experienced the heat at the swamp this year. I have spent a lot of time in FL over the years, worked in an extremely hot environment for years, and I am actually a "hot weather lover" but the heat in that stadium last Sept was just literally unbearable. It really is not fair to expect kids used to KY weather, even though it can be very hot, to perform in that kind of temps.

But almost 40% of our roster is from warm climate areas. Of course I think playing Florida late in the season could be an advantage for UK and it certainly doesn't hinder Florida to play UK in Sept no matter if it's here or there but I think this whole idea of heat is being overblown.

 

[Oldtrainer_rivals]

Back in my college days we played the gators in November. I worked for my meals at the old Purcell's department store and cafeteria. Remember one year the Florida equipment managers bought all the long underwear in the store. Coach Collier saw to that the gators bench was on shaded side of the field!

 

[TeoJ]

I have lived in Florida for thirty years now,to think the cold weather will not bother them is crazy.If it hits fifty it's cold down here.