KENTUCKY-LOUISVILLE RIVALRY

Louisville logo		Kentucky logo

The Kentucky Wildcats and Louisville Cardinals, athletic programs for the two largest universities in Kentucky, are intense sport rivals. Equally competetive in both basketball and football, the men's basketball game is called the 'Battle for the Bluegrass' and the football game is called the 'Governor's Cup'.

Contents

Background

History

The basketball games

The football games

Game 12: Sept 4, 2005 ★ Commonwealth Stadium ★

See also

References

Background

Despite their geographical proximity, the histories of the two schools are radically different. Kentucky was founded in 1865 as the Agricultural & Mechanical College of Kentucky, a public component of the otherwise private Kentucky University (now Transylvania University). Kentucky A&M split from Kentucky University in 1878 and adopted its current name in 1916. UK has historically been the "flagship" of the state's public university system .
Louisville actually predates UK by several decades. The university traces its roots to a school chartered in 1798, although not opened until 1813. In that era, the school was a municipal institution, closing in 1829. The modern University of Louisville was founded in 1846 explicitly as a municipally supported institution by the combination of two medical schools and a newly established law school. It joined the state university system in 1970 but remained largely a local commuter institution until well into the 1990s. As recently as 1990, almost three-fourths of UofL students were from the school's home county of Jefferson County. In 2000, for the first time, UofL enrolled at least one student from every Kentucky county, and 2005 marked the first year that a majority of students came from outside Jefferson County.

History

Unlike other team rivalries, the Kentucky Wildcats (UK) and Louisville Cardinals (UofL) rarely competed from the 1930s to the 1980s. They did play frequently from the 1900s to 1920s, with UK dominating in both basketball and football. Since the renewal of the men's basketball rivalry in 1983 and football rivalry in 1994, UK leads basketball (16 of 23 or 69.5%) and UofL leads football (9 of 12 or 69.2%).
Ironically UK alumni, such as former football coach Howard Schnellenberger, defensive coordinator Mike Cassidy, assistant coach Mike Nord, and Lexington area players such as Eric Shelton, David Akers, Frank Minnifield, and Travis Leffew have helped drive the success of UofL football. And similarly the basketball team has improved since former UK coach Rick Pitino took over, bringing in UK transfer Marvin Stone and assistant coach Steve Masiello, also a former UK player. The Lexington media often refers to such people as the "Cat-birds".
In 2004, the two schools began a media war, placing ads in rival home newspapers and advertising on billboards. UK started by posting an ad at the top of the sports page in the Courier-Journal edition. The ad projected results of the 2003 Kentucky-Louisville basketball game, in an effort to "rub in" UK's "win". (UK lost). The ad proclaimed "There's a wildcat loose in Freedom Hall", to advertise UK's upcoming annual non-conference game in Freedom Hall, which wasn't against Louisville. UofL then infuriated University of Kentucky officials and fans by running a statewide billboard campaign with the phrase, "Louisville Football, Kentucky's finest". UofL also countered with ads on the sports page of the online Herald Leader. One billboard along I-64 from Lexington to Louisville displays the Cards' logo and the slogan "Louisville... We're Miles Ahead." And UofL placed a similar billboard on a connecting highway between Frankfort and Versailles, two cities within "Cat Country".
The rivalry took another interesting turn in recent years, when each team made in-roads to the respective team's core fan base. UK drew more African-American fans since hiring African-American head coach Tubby Smith. UofL gained more fans outside of the Metro Area, as the school became less "urban, commuter school" and drew more traditional students from across the state. Over 1/3 of Kentucky counties have more students enrolled at UofL than living UofL alumni. In 1990, 74% of UofL students where from Jefferson County, and by 2005 that number had fallen to 50%, while surrounding counties have remained steady.
In 2006, UK President Lee Todd added further fuel to the overheated rivalry when he spoke on July 28 at the annual UK Football Kickoff Luncheon. He told a partisan Cats crowd:
While accepting the award for athletics director of the year after a banner 06-07 season which including UofL's first BCS Bowl win, Track and Field National Championships, and College World Series appearance, Louisville's Tom Jurich jokingly referenced Todd's statement's by saying:
UofL had a banner 06-07 season, including the first BCS Bowl win, Track and Field National Championships, and College World Series appearance. While accepting the award for athletics director of the year, Louisville's Tom Jurich jokingly referenced Todd's statement's by saying:

The basketball games

#Feb 15, 1913 Kentucky 34, Louisville 10
#Feb 7, 1914 Kentucky 22, Louisville 17
#March 3, 1914 Kentucky 26, Louisville 13
#Jan 23, 1915 Kentucky 18, Louisville 14
#Feb 27, 1915 Louisville 26, Kentucky 15
#Feb 12, 1916 Louisville 26, Kentucky 22
#Feb 22, 1916 Kentucky 32, Louisville 24
#Jan 17, 1922 Kentucky 38, Louisville 14
#Jan 21, 1922 Kentucky 29, Louisville 22
#March 27, 1948 Kentucky 91, Louisville 57
#March 20, 1951 Kentucky 79, Louisville 68
#March 13, 1959 Louisville 76, Kentucky 61
#March 26, 1983 Louisville 80, Kentucky 68 (OT)
#Nov 26, 1983 Kentucky 65, Louisville 44
#March 22, 1984 Kentucky 72, Louisville 67
#Dec 15, 1984 Louisville 71, Kentucky 64
#Dec 28, 1985 Kentucky 69, Louisville 64
#Dec 27, 1986 Kentucky 85, Louisville 51
#Dec 12, 1987 Kentucky 76, Louisville 75
#Dec 31, 1988 Louisville 97, Kentucky 75
#Dec 30, 1989 Louisville 86, Kentucky 79
#Dec 29, 1990 Kentucky 93, Louisville 85
#Dec 28, 1991 Kentucky 103, Louisville 89
#Dec 12, 1992 Kentucky 88, Louisville 68
#Nov 27, 1993 Kentucky 78, Louisville 70
#Jan 1, 1995 Louisville 88, Kentucky 86
#Dec 23, 1995 Kentucky 89, Louisville 66
#Dec 31, 1996 Kentucky 74, Louisville 54
#Dec 27, 1997 Louisville 79, Kentucky 76
#Dec 26, 1998 Louisville 83, Kentucky 74
#Dec 18, 1999 Kentucky 76, Louisville 46
#Jan 2, 2001 Kentucky 64, Louisville 62
#Dec 29, 2001 Kentucky 82, Louisville 62
#Dec 28, 2002 Louisville 81, Kentucky 63
#Dec 27, 2003 Louisville 65, Kentucky 56
#Dec 18, 2004 Kentucky 60, Louisville 58
#Dec 17, 2005 Kentucky 73, Louisville 61
#Dec 16, 2006 Kentucky 61, Louisville 49

The football games

;'Early Years'
#Oct 28, 1912 Kentucky 41, Louisville 0
#Nov 22, 1913 Kentucky 20, Louisville 0
#Nov 14, 1914 Kentucky 42, Louisville 0
#Nov 6, 1915 Kentucky 15, Louisville 0
#Oct 14, 1922 Kentucky 63, Louisville 0
#Oct 4, 1924 Kentucky 29, Louisville 0
;'Modern Era'
#Sept 3, 1994 Kentucky 20, Louisville 14
#Sept 2, 1995 Louisville 13, Kentucky 10
#Aug 31, 1996 Louisville 38, Kentucky 14
#Aug 30, 1997 Kentucky 38, Louisville 24
#Sept 5, 1998 Kentucky 68, Louisville 34
#Sept 4, 1999 Louisville 56, Kentucky 28
#Sept 2, 2000 Louisville 40, Kentucky 34 (OT)
#Sept 1, 2001 Louisville 36, Kentucky 10
#Sept 1, 2002 Kentucky 22, Louisville 17
#Aug 31, 2003 Louisville 40, Kentucky 24
#Sept 4, 2004 Louisville 28, Kentucky 0
#Sept 4, 2005 Louisville 31, Kentucky 24
#Sept 3, 2006 Louisville 59, Kentucky 28

Game 12: Sept 4, 2005
★ Commonwealth Stadium
★

In the 2005 game, The Cards took a 28-7 lead into the locker room and appeared well on their way to a repeat of the 1999 game, but the Wildcats had other plans. UK stormed back in the second half scoring 17 straight points to cut the deficit to 23-28 and had the normally unflappable Brohm badly out of rhythm. Late in the game it looked like the Cats were going for the tying score, but QB Andre Woodson was stripped of the ball at the two yard line by Louisville Senior Brandon Johnson. UofL running back Michael Bush would then take over, as the Cards held onto the ball for the rest of the game.
Box Score 1 2 3 4 - Score
----------------- -- -- -- -- -----
Louisville 7 21 0 3 - 31 Record: (1-0)
Kentucky 7 0 10 7 - 24 Record: (0-1)

See also

★ Kentucky Wildcats

★ Louisville Cardinals

★ Local derby

References