Kentucky Sports Radio
[Moderated by Matt Jones, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson]
[Moderated by Matt Jones, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson]
Stevie got loose, but it was only shown live on ESPN Classic.
This summer, there’s been a lot of talk about the UK-UL football game. There’d still be a lot of talk about it if it was the third game of the season, but when it’s the opener, there’s a buzz all summer long about the season opening game between the Cats and the Cards on Labor Day Weekend. Since there aren’t other games to play before the in-state contest this year, players haven’t been afraid to start trash talking and getting excited about the game well before fall camp even opens up, which has been fun for fans of both programs. I understand that UK originally wanted to move the game back in years that the game is in Lexington so that the team can have more time to prepare for a crucial game. In terms of becoming bowl eligible, there isn’t a game on the schedule more important on a yearly basis that is consistently tough, yet realistically winnable.
I would argue, however, that both teams will be better prepared for the game this year than they were last. Instead of watching film and preparing for WKU or Central Michigan, and then having only a week to prepare for Louisville, UK can now spend much of this summer focusing on film and tendencies of Louisville. Last season, both UK and UofL started out flat, perhaps because there wasn’t a sense of urgency around either program until it was the week of the Governor’s Cup. UK barely beat WKU, and Louisville didn’t beat Murray State convincingly before losing to Florida International in week two. Both teams seemingly went through the motions until it was the week of the Governor’s Cup, but both teams eventually finished the regular season on a good note. Not only could this be a good idea from a football perspective to keep the game on the first week, but playing on the Sunday of Labor Day Weekend is also usually a sure-bet to get on national TV.
There will be an ESPN national broadcast of this year’s UK-UL game on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, just before the NFL season gets going. If the UK-UL game happened to be in Lexington this year on the third week of the season, it’s possible that the Cats wouldn’t have a single game on national TV. When UK first made this change in the schedule every other year starting in 2007, they still had their share of SEC games that were getting on national TV (2007 vs LSU, Florida, and Tennessee were all CBS games), but now Kentucky is not getting many games televised outside of ESPNU or the SEC regional viewing area. In order to recruit even close to the level of other SEC programs, Kentucky needs to ensure that they have at least one nationally televised game each year. In 2010 the Governor’s Cup was played on the first week and was on ABC, in 2011 it was played on the third week and was on ESPNU, and in 2012 it’s going to be played on the first week and it will be on ESPN. As you can see above, even that thrilling 2007 game was only seen on ESPN Classic, because there were too many good games to compete with in the third week of the season.
Sound off in the comment section with opinions below, but I can’t seem to think of any reason why this game shouldn’t always be played on the first week of the season every single year.
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Bill Keightley Report : Never to be forgotten.
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July 22nd, 2012 at 7:19 pm
**** Louisville
July 22nd, 2012 at 7:20 pm
As a sixty year fan, I not only do not care when UK and UL play, I prefer they not play at all. On the weekend UK and UL play football I find a place to spend those two days where people have never heard of Direct-TV and think of soccer as football.
Play IU again in both football and basketball.
July 22nd, 2012 at 7:24 pm
who cares – talk about bball…
July 22nd, 2012 at 7:34 pm
i like it better the first game imo
July 22nd, 2012 at 7:37 pm
what #1 said
July 22nd, 2012 at 7:47 pm
Who gives two hoots about UK football? Everybody knows that UK is a one trick pony.
July 22nd, 2012 at 7:48 pm
first week
July 22nd, 2012 at 7:57 pm
I see why Brooks moved it but its time to go back to the 1st game!!
July 22nd, 2012 at 7:59 pm
GOGAYTORS, please use the “8″ in the appropriate manner.
National Championships.
July 22nd, 2012 at 7:59 pm
This was about football? Yeah. Who cares?
Any word on Patterson/Lucas?
July 22nd, 2012 at 8:02 pm
Hey, GoGayters… Where’d ya’ll finish? The Wildcats did pretty well!
July 22nd, 2012 at 8:10 pm
Yes, the first game is the way to go.
July 22nd, 2012 at 8:11 pm
Hasn’t this dead horse been beaten enough already? Let the coaches make the schedule. When was the last time you were concerned about the gymnastics team’s schedule and their TV appearances
July 22nd, 2012 at 8:13 pm
Yes, the first game is the way to go, so that it is a “big” game. With expectations high, instead of hiding it with all the other losses.
July 22nd, 2012 at 8:30 pm
We shouldn’t play them at all in football. It defines the season. Whoever loses has a terrible year.
July 22nd, 2012 at 8:42 pm
Drop Louisville from the schedule.
Let’s go with Cal’s idea and play a basketball/football double header and get some exposure in a match made for TV!
Turn the heat up on the administration to get football right!
July 22nd, 2012 at 9:27 pm
If the latest Yahoo article has any truth to it, Bridgewater & i.e. UL might have a problem with all the illegal Miami contact with Bridgewater, making Bridgewater ineligible. I see the future in which UL having to forfeit all the games Bridgewater has played in. Not that UL is guilty of anything, they may just become collateral damage.
July 22nd, 2012 at 9:56 pm
Wait, I thought that Rich Brooks/Joker’s “bowl streak” (Music City 3X, Liberty and something called the BBVA Compass Bowl)was better than the Sugar, Orange and Cotton Bowls (and something called the “Great Lakes Bowl”) in the 50′s that I’ve read about in the media guide. You mean that UK has to play a couple of subpar teams to prepare for Louisville? No wonder UK hasn’t had a record above .500 in the SEC in almost 40 years.
July 22nd, 2012 at 10:01 pm
17 there were also 2 other uofl player to named also http://www.cardchronicle.com/2012/7/20/3173307/bridgewater-other-cards-named-in-new-recruiting-violation-report
July 22nd, 2012 at 10:02 pm
Best part about that picture? Those EMTs going bananas. Haha.
July 22nd, 2012 at 10:20 pm
There is no advantage for Kentucky to play UL so they should play the game whenever UK wants to if they play at all.
July 22nd, 2012 at 10:56 pm
Oh uk footbalzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
2-10
Joker fired
Mitch hires a hazbeen. Nothin changed
Mitch fired
New coach fired
Fans still buy tickets like lymings n jump off the cliff
Zzzzzzzzzzz
Don’t believe me look at last 50 yrs
July 23rd, 2012 at 6:27 am
As soon as SEC Football goes to nine games by by Chickenheads!
July 23rd, 2012 at 7:27 am
Prefer opening game — gives an added attraction to Labor Day weekend —
July 23rd, 2012 at 4:35 pm
Here’s the bad thing. Everyone of the people on here running there mouths about how bad kentucky football is , will be the same people that is a huge fan when Kentucky has some good years. I guarantee they all were “fans” back during the bowl streak.