Would you be mad if Kentucky packed up and moved to the Big 10?

[mtn cat1]

My question is, what would such a move gain UK?????

 

[Myotis]

My question is, what would such a move gain UK?????

Primarily, a chance to build a winning tradition while still having some elite opponents in conference. The B10 is decidely more top heavy than the SEC. Won't happen though. I can't see the B10 having any interest in UK, and most UK fans would rather lose in the SEC than win anywhere else.

 

[STUCKNBIG10]

IMO, moving to the b tin would almost assure Ky of greater success in Football, but for me it would be like being a bigger fish in a smaller pond; it would be like saying, "If we can't compete in the majors, let's back down to the minors". There is some good Football in that league but it does not compare annually nor traditionally with the SEC. As for our "odd love" with the SEC, personally it's more of a cultural thing. While I cannot speak for everyone, I generally prefer most things "southern" than things considered "northern". I'd rather be associated with the South than the north as I believe most common Kentuckians would prefer.

As I've said before, IMO, we get good recruits that are interested in us because we play in the SEC..

Fair enough. A few thoughts:

1. I don't think anyone would consider the BIG to be the "minor leagues". There are just as many brand names there as there are in the SEC (doesn't get much bigger than OSU, UM, PSU, Nebraska, etc).
2. My "odd love" comment - I get that much of the UK fanbase reveres all things southern. I also like tradition, so leaving the SEC is not a no-brainer for me (though I still think it's the right thing to do for UK). The "odd love" for me is how fervently UK fans root for other SEC schools to succeed in bowl season (often when we are sitting home), despite the fact that we recruit against these teams and need them to fail so that we can pass them on the SEC ladder. It's also odd, b/c I can guarantee you that very few of them root hard for us in the NCAA tourney every year (with a few exceptions, as we generally have a good kinship with Alabama fans, Georgia fans, Auburn fans, etc). Living up here, I can tell you that you will never see Michigan rooting for MSU or OSU. You will never see Indiana rooting for Purdue or Illinois. I just don't get it.

 

[Blue Decade]

It's your OPINION that a move to another conference. It is my opinion that it would be the best move, but as I said earlier, our fanbase has some odd love for the SEC, so I know that most here do not agree with me.

As for your epistle, I did say "one 4-4 year does not change that" and I stand by that. At no point in time did I ever say it was impossible to go 4-4 (clearly, as we have done that a handful of times), but going 4-4 in 2016 does not change the fact that we have performed MISERABLY in this conference.

In what universe is 4-4 success? It's the definition of MEDIOCRITY. We have failed to eclipse MEDIOCRITY since the 1970s. Repeat: the 1970s. In that time, we have watched every single other SEC school go through a boom period (Vandy won 9 games under Franklin; USCe won 11 games three years in a row; Ole Miss tied for the SEC west with Eli and nearly won it last year were it not for a Hog miracle; Arkansas went to SEC title game twice and also to a sugar bowl; MSU went to the SEC title game under Sherrill and was #1 in BCS standings at one point in 2015). So, in short, if you take away the power 6 (UT, UF, UGA, AU, UA, and LSU) every other SEC school has had a period of success while our high-water mark is 8-5 and a music city bowl win and a Hall of Fame bowl win over Wisconsin in the early 80s.

So, spare me the idea that I'm "oversimplifying" things. The facts above represent 40 years of (mostly) losing and a handful of .500 years. As fans, we have NOT received any kind of return on our investment. Am I hopeful? Yes. I like a lot of what I see. Do I think we'd be better served in the BIG or ACC? Yes.

That's horse manure. I gave you the accurate information. Apparently the accurate information doesn't suit your narrative. So why don't you move to another conference?

 

[STUCKNBIG10]

That's horse manure. I gave you the accurate information. Apparently the accurate information doesn't suit your narrative. So why don't you move to another conference?

LOL, your accurate information was to list our record over the last 20-30 years and you (accurately) showed that UK has never been above 4-4 in the conference since the 1970s. I agree with that. What your data does not show is that UK has ever risen above mediocrity in the SEC during that same time. Your data also shows that UK has only achieved .500 (the definition of mediocrity) a handful of times over the last 40 years. Congratulations.

Now, what part of what I said is inaccurate?

I understand that you disagree and that's your prerogative. It doesn't make your opinion any more valid than mine (and your data arguably supports my hypothesis more than yours).

As for your last question, I will not move to another conference because I am an individual and not an institution of higher learning. I do not have the option to place myself into an NCAA athletic conference.