UK/UL game scheduled

[MegaBlue05]

Not sure why people think this is "stupid" - I mean we have an exhibition against Purdue - not Sisters of the Poor of West Virginia. Then we open with UL and Michigan State shortly after. Then Gonzaga and STJ. Granted there will be cupcakes thrown in there, but that's quite the non-conference already - all of those teams were NCAAT teams last year.

About the only "stupid" is that it's on a Tuesday night. Should be a Saturday now and forever.

I hate it. Potentially opening the season on the road against a potential top 10 team is a high risk, high reward scenario.

Win that game, 40-0 proclamations begin. Lose that game, and we’re NIT bound and Pope will never win here.

I also prefer to play the basketball game after the football game.

Nobody outside of Kentucky, Indiana, Kansas or North Carolina cares about college basketball until after bowl season/NFL playoffs. Putting one of the sport’s premier rivalries on a random Tuesday in early November seems like a bad move to me.

And yes, I’d rather open the year with a big, creamy cupcake or two to gain early confidence.

 

[bbncal02]

I hate it. Potentially opening the season on the road against a potential top 10 team is a high risk, high reward scenario.

Win that game, 40-0 proclamations begin. Lose that game, and we’re NIT bound and Pope will never win here.

I also prefer to play the basketball game after the football game.

Nobody outside of Kentucky, Indiana, Kansas or North Carolina cares about college basketball until after bowl season/NFL playoffs. Putting one of the sport’s premier rivalries on a random Tuesday in early November seems like a bad move to me.

And yes, I’d rather open the year with a big, creamy cupcake or two to gain early confidence.

I wouldn’t call it premier anymore. When Cal and Pitino were going it. Sure. And it may get good again but they’ve sucked. We’ve struggled a bit here and theee and it’s just lost its national shine.

Still stupid to play it this early on a Tuesday

 

[MidseasonTweaks]

Not a fan of this game being early, but we will still kick their *** so it's okay.

 

[MegaBlue05]

I wouldn’t call it premier anymore. When Cal and Pitino were going it. Sure. And it may get good again but they’ve sucked. We’ve struggled a bit here and theee and it’s just lost its national shine.

Still stupid to play it this early on a Tuesday

I probably should have said potentially premier. The rivalry has been lopsided for the last two decades.

Since the 2004 season, counting postseason matchups, UK is 17-6 against Louisville with no game in the 2021-22 season because the Cards called in sick.

 

[Digger-Cat]

1. It’s a rivalry game dating back over 100 years. Cesspool or not it’s good for the Commonwealth.
2. The champions classic is usually the first big CNB event for the year with three of the most historic teams in CBB. It’s no comparison in ratings.

1) it might have started over 100 years ago, but they went a long time without playing. But if you guys want to deal with their fans for 10 years because they beat us one time, have at it. They're garbage.

2) Not sure why this matters, UK vs Duke, or UK vs KU, is a bigger draw than UK vs UL and it too, is played on a Tuesday night in November. That was the point, if they'll put UK vs Duke on a Tuesday night, it shouldn't surprise anyone that they put UK vs UL on a Tuesday night.

 

[PoBilly]

Yeah not a fan of this.

Tuesday night game in early November? Just doesn't make sense.

Would have made more sense for the IU game to happen November 11th and the UL game to happen on that Saturday in December.

And JQ might not be fully back by then either.

Even more glad now for the Purdue exhibition game. That will help get us ready- UL and Michigan State in the first 10 days of the season.

With the points you make here it makes perfect sense if UofL got to choose the date. Early game (maybe JQ still working his way back) or has rust. Tuesday night, maybe not viewed as much and is hidden from public eye as much and a loss early to UK, mid week game would not be a big deal for their NCAA tourney seeding. Heck who knows. Odd as heck.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

I hate it. Potentially opening the season on the road against a potential top 10 team is a high risk, high reward scenario.

Win that game, 40-0 proclamations begin. Lose that game, and we’re NIT bound and Pope will never win here.

I also prefer to play the basketball game after the football game.

Nobody outside of Kentucky, Indiana, Kansas or North Carolina cares about college basketball until after bowl season/NFL playoffs. Putting one of the sport’s premier rivalries on a random Tuesday in early November seems like a bad move to me.

And yes, I’d rather open the year with a big, creamy cupcake or two to gain early confidence.

Teams always seem to struggle n first road game as well. I know some of that was due to freshmen heavy cal teams but last year lost at Clemson too.

I hope we get a couple of cupcakes at home first. Sure we will.

 

[ColonelCat_rivals376764]

This is stupid as hell

At least 3 of those games are on neutral courts, and we travel well.

 

[Ukbrassowtipin]

Hate that it's on a Tuesday but assume they moved from the late dec bc it was competing with football

 

[UKBB4Ever]

I want to play UL every year so we can beat UL every year.

Any day that ends with a Y is fine.

 

[AllBall]

Yeah not a fan of this.

Tuesday night game in early November? Just doesn't make sense.

Would have made more sense for the IU game to happen November 11th and the UL game to happen on that Saturday in December.

And JQ might not be fully back by then either.

Even more glad now for the Purdue exhibition game. That will help get us ready- UL and Michigan State in the first 10 days of the season.

Agreed. Make it IU in Nov and keep UL in Dec on the weekend.

 

[davtay]

I'd be willing to bet that the scheduling of the game was made by ESPN.

 

[Swimcat20]

If you have the fighting Cardinal on your underwear, so everyone can see your Ls Up spirit when you walk around with your pants hanging off the bottom of your ***. You might be a UL fan.

 

[DraftCat]

Bummer every once in a while the UK UL game lands on my Birthday in December.

Not thrilled about this move either.

 

[Rideordiewildcat]

Nov? Tuesday?

Change is always good.

 

[truebluewildcat_rivals34254]

Love it!

Big time marquee game to kick off season.

Wish football would do the same…but that’s a rant for the other board.

 

[MegaBlue05]

Teams always seem to struggle n first road game as well. I know some of that was due to freshmen heavy cal teams but last year lost at Clemson too.

I hope we get a couple of cupcakes at home first. Sure we will.

It’s a valid concern. Losing first true road game dates back to at least Tubby. It was an issue for Cal. Pope is 0-1.

Tubby lost his first true road game in 99, 00, 01, 02, 05. 06 and 07.

Pitino lost his first road game in 90, 94 and 95.

I should note all of them in Pitino/Tubby era were to good teams except 1999 Louisville. They were awful.

 

[Jamal sMashburn]

I don't feel very optimistic about us pulling this one out. Hopefully that will change after I see us against Purdue. At least if we lose at UL, it will help it feel more like a rivalry again. Then we can hope for a rematch in March with a healthy JQ

 

[SWFLwildcat06]

I don’t really mind that it’s early Nov but not a huge fan of it being a weeknight game. I know there’s been a few times it’s been played during the week and it always feels weird. This game should always be on a Sat/Sun afternoon.

 

[serdi]

Don’t care. Should have never bent to Legislature pressure. We had no reason to play U of L. Before 85% of you were born we played IU, Kansas, North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Notre Dame every year plus throw in a Duke, a Big Ten team, a Big 8 team, etc. We gain NOTHING by playing UofL. Hell there are more UK fans in Jefferson County and nobody cares in Elkhorn City or Fulton. And while we are at it the SEC should consist of 12/13 of the Charter SEC MEMBERS and that is it. Sewanee, the first SEC Football champion, is Division III.

 

[bbncal02]

Don’t care. Should have never bent to Legislature pressure. We had no reason to play U of L. Before 85% of you were born we played IU, Kansas, North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Notre Dame every year plus throw in a Duke, a Big Ten team, a Big 8 team, etc. We gain NOTHING by playing UofL. Hell there are more UK fans in Jefferson County and nobody cares in Elkhorn City or Fulton. And while we are at it the SEC should consist of 12/13 of the Charter SEC MEMBERS and that is it. Sewanee, the first SEC Football champion, is Division III.

We gain NOTHING by playing IU either.


A lot of hand wringing in this thread about losing to UofL. We take on ALL comers. And if we're scared of losing to a team with "nothing to gain" then we aren't Kentucky anymore.

 

[Wildcats1st]

I hate it. Potentially opening the season on the road against a potential top 10 team is a high risk, high reward scenario.

Win that game, 40-0 proclamations begin. Lose that game, and we’re NIT bound and Pope will never win here.

I also prefer to play the basketball game after the football game.

Nobody outside of Kentucky, Indiana, Kansas or North Carolina cares about college basketball until after bowl season/NFL playoffs. Putting one of the sport’s premier rivalries on a random Tuesday in early November seems like a bad move to me.

And yes, I’d rather open the year with a big, creamy cupcake or two to gain early confidence.

I could see Barney do something like play UL Saturday in Lexington and in Louisville the basketball game the next day. That’s what this move sets up. I would rather play UNCheat every year home and home over UL. I would like to replace them on the schedule. You gain ziltch from playing an inferior in state team with a hostile fan base. The same applies to IU because they pine to be UK. Playing those two teams we have more to lose than gain. Replace those two games and a cupcake for a tournament.

 

[UKBB4Ever]

I could see Barney do something like play UL Saturday in Lexington and in Louisville the basketball game the next day. That’s what this move sets up. I would rather play UNCheat every year home and home over UL. I would like to replace them on the schedule. You gain ziltch from playing an inferior in state team with a hostile fan base. The same applies to IU because they pine to be UK. Playing those two teams we have more to lose than gain. Replace those two games and a cupcake for a tournament.

We do gain by playing UL. We get to beat UL.

That’s a gain. I had to listen for years that we were afraid to play them. Now I get to tell those same people you got what you wished for!!

 

[serdi]

We gain NOTHING by playing IU either.


A lot of hand wringing in this thread about losing to UofL. We take on ALL comers. And if we're scared of losing to a team with "nothing to gain" then we aren't Kentucky anymore.

Never have been scared of Louisville,. What’s to be scared of? We should never avoid playing anyone. Louisville demanded and the General Assembly push through for us to play them. They thought they would dominate us. How did that work out? Up until the mid 70s no SEC school played in-state non-conference schools… the exception being to former SEC schools, Georgia Tech and Tulane.

 

[TortElvisII]

https://ukathletics.com/sports/mbba...q7DjFNjyQWohmXXY1Y_aem_JGRNoPiBWoElWFiKe6jaVQ

 

[Swimcat20]

If you have to walk to a bar to watch the UL game because the Rent A Center store took back your 60 inch TV screen and the off the lot finance company reposed your car, you might a UL fan.

 

[TankedCat]

Assuming this is a Kelsey motivated move and not some ESPN scheduling garbage.....

If we were Louisville fans we'd expect our coach to do the same thing Kelsey is doing.

He is doing everything he can to maximize his chances of winning against Kentucky.

And he is right, its not a rivalry unless UL wins a few here and there, college basketball is better for Kentucky when Louisville is good.

I would hope that Duke/UNC would never be a Tuesday night game but since they play twice a year, I can't say for sure its never been a mid week game.

I remember when UL football was playing week night games and believing it was beneath them to do so but they had a plan, and that plan was to raise their profile and target recruiting, mostly in Florida. The result from that was their football program was elevated for doing what it took to get wins and get on the map.

Given UL basketball was in no mans land for the two years before Kelsey, they're in the Friday Night football game stage and playing Kentucky early gives them a chance to get the program elevated. Personally I don't think its necessary as UL looks to be back on track to be a perennial top 25 program, but I think its definitely a strategic move. People will be talking about the game (and by result, Louisville) very early into the basketball season with other made for TV matchups that kick off the season. If Louisville were to win, its propels them into the national discussion. Beating Kentucky, no matter how good or bad UK is a marquee win. If they lose, well.. they still get talked about and the loss is a distant thought by Xmas.

not hard to figure out I want the rivalry game to continue, as well as thinking we should have never stopped playing IU.

 

[Cardinals19702]

Assuming this is a Kelsey motivated move and not some ESPN scheduling garbage.....

If we were Louisville fans we'd expect our coach to do the same thing Kelsey is doing.

He is doing everything he can to maximize his chances of winning against Kentucky.

And he is right, its not a rivalry unless UL wins a few here and there, college basketball is better for Kentucky when Louisville is good.

I would hope that Duke/UNC would never be a Tuesday night game but since they play twice a year, I can't say for sure its never been a mid week game.

I remember when UL football was playing week night games and believing it was beneath them to do so but they had a plan, and that plan was to raise their profile and target recruiting, mostly in Florida. The result from that was their football program was elevated for doing what it took to get wins and get on the map.

Given UL basketball was in no mans land for the two years before Kelsey, they're in the Friday Night football game stage and playing Kentucky early gives them a chance to get the program elevated. Personally I don't think its necessary as UL looks to be back on track to be a perennial top 25 program, but I think its definitely a strategic move. People will be talking about the game (and by result, Louisville) very early into the basketball season with other made for TV matchups that kick off the season. If Louisville were to win, its propels them into the national discussion. Beating Kentucky, no matter how good or bad UK is a marquee win. If they lose, well.. they still get talked about and the loss is a distant thought by Xmas.

not hard to figure out I want the rivalry game to continue, as well as thinking we should have never stopped playing IU.

Kind of hard to schedule UK on a Saturday in December when UK already had the first 3 locked down with other games. Plus the 4th Saturday the game would probably get pushed to to the ACC Network due to the College Football Playoffs.

 

[AFKY_Blue_RedsBengals]

UK & Louisville game falling on Veterans Day.

 

[Rick Honcho]

My only complaint about this matchup is that it will be played on a Tuesday. Absolutely asinine scheduling decision in my book.

 

[Digger-Cat]

UK & Louisville game falling on Veterans Day.

Well, we have a lot of veteran guys, it's a sign. We're gonna win.

 

[DelkBowl]

1. It’s a rivalry game dating back over 100 years. Cesspool or not it’s good for the Commonwealth.
2. The champions classic is usually the first big CNB event for the year with three of the most historic teams in CBB. It’s no comparison in ratings.

It's not good for the city of Louisville :sunglasses:

 

[SWFLwildcat06]

40-17