Why don't we play Kentucky in football?

[Catfanatic1979v1]

Seriously, why do we never schedule Kentucky in football? They have historically been a team we have a shot at beating, super close to home and in the SEC. The game would get decent TV coverage just from the fact an SEC team is involved. Is there something I don't know? This seems like a pretty good target for us given the low travel expenses.

 

[W-S HerdFan]

Seriously, why do we never schedule Kentucky in football? They have historically been a team we have a shot at beating, super close to home and in the SEC. The game would get decent TV coverage just from the fact an SEC team is involved. Is there something I don't know? This seems like a pretty good target for us given the low travel expenses.

My guess? They look at us like wvu does. They don’t want to risk losing to us, and they don’t need the extra cash it would bring.

 

[johns1124]

They have historically been a team we have a shot at beating,

Answer.

 

[Catfanatic1979v1]

My guess? They look at us like wvu does. They don’t want to risk losing to us, and they don’t need the extra cash it would bring.

I think any new AD should try to call them up and see if we can get anything from them in football. They would probably cream us in basketball but the smaller sports probably wouldn't be difficult and we need smaller commutes to everything we can get.

 

[W-S HerdFan]

I think any new AD should try to call them up and see if we can get anything from them in football. They would probably cream us in basketball but the smaller sports probably wouldn't be difficult and we need smaller commutes to everything we can get.

We already play them in MSoccer. We have played them a couple of times (relatively) 🏀recently. Creamed is an understatement!
I would think we’ve attempted a football game over the years w/o success….

 

[herdfan93]

The story has always been that they want to schedule sure wins during non-conf because of the gauntlet they face in conf.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

Seriously, why do we never schedule Kentucky in football? They have historically been a team we have a shot at beating, super close to home and in the SEC. The game would get decent TV coverage just from the fact an SEC team is involved. Is there something I don't know? This seems like a pretty good target for us given the low travel expenses.

UK refuses to schedule us because there's a better than 50% chance that they can lose and UK needs their OoC slate to lock up a bowl game. I remember Hamrick getting asked about this and he told us of a conversation he had with their AD. They were friends and we were playing them in soccer or something at the time of the conversation and he told Hamrick that he'd lose his job if he scheduled us and then they ended up losing.

Beating us does nothing for them and losing to us can destroy their season. So the risk/reward for them isn't there. They're going with games that are almost locks to win.

 

[Herdguy04]

UK refuses to schedule us because there's a better than 50% chance that they can lose and UK needs their OoC slate to lock up a bowl game. I remember Hamrick getting asked about this and he told us of a conversation he had with their AD. They were friends and we were playing them in soccer or something at the time of the conversation and he told Hamrick that he'd lose his job if he scheduled us and then they ended up losing.

Beating us does nothing for them and losing to us can destroy their season. So the risk/reward for them isn't there. They're going with games that are almost locks to win.

I'm starting to wonder if this really will still ring true, given how some SEC and power conference teams manage to get more lucrative bowls than they deserve.
It'll end up being like the NCAA basketball tournament where a Marshall-esque team beats a Power conference champion and either:
A. Said MU-esque team gets hosed in the selection process.
B. Power team who lost still gets in over a smaller team more deserving.

They're leaving it up to the opinion of a few old morons who are out of touch with competitive sports...who will just let their friends into the good games "because we said so!" kind of BS reasoning.

MU could beat UK, who goes on to win 7 games and will get a bowl better than they're worth regardless.

 

[HerdGradinFL]

I remember years ago when we tried to schedule a football game with UK with no success. Ashland Oil (when their HQ was in the Tri State) tried to help by approaching uk for the game and they were no told it would be a lose lose proposition for them. Marshall would have given them all they could have handled in our early days in D1.

 

[greengeezer]

The Sun Belt had the perfect way to apply some pressure for Kentucky to play some of our conference football teams. Schedule us in football on occasion or find another home for your men’s soccer program.

 

[Catfanatic1979v1]

UK refuses to schedule us because there's a better than 50% chance that they can lose and UK needs their OoC slate to lock up a bowl game. I remember Hamrick getting asked about this and he told us of a conversation he had with their AD. They were friends and we were playing them in soccer or something at the time of the conversation and he told Hamrick that he'd lose his job if he scheduled us and then they ended up losing.

Beating us does nothing for them and losing to us can destroy their season. So the risk/reward for them isn't there. They're going with games that are almost locks to win.

That sucks because Notre Dame and Ohio State had no problem scheduling us but neither thought we could ever win.

 

[oldeherd]

It takes two to tango. Seriously, MU can get games with the Ohio States, the Georgias, the Wisconsins, Penn States, etc.., in FOOTBALL any day of the week!! First, such games will always be ROAD ones for MU. Second, any Power Opponent games against lesser, middle of the pack or bottom feeder Power schools, like UK, will be difficult to come by given occasional successes MU has had over the years. And after recent wins by the HERD, against the likes of VA TECH, PURDUE, it is very doubtful The HERD could lure similar POWER teams to play in the JOAN again at ANY price! MU probably could offer SEC and Big 10 weak sisters like Vandy, Indiana, UK, etc., 2 for 1, maybe even 3 for 1, deals (2 or 3 on the road for 1 game in Huntington) and probably not get any takers!!

 

[BleedsGreen33]

I'm starting to wonder if this really will still ring true, given how some SEC and power conference teams manage to get more lucrative bowls than they deserve.
It'll end up being like the NCAA basketball tournament where a Marshall-esque team beats a Power conference champion and either:
A. Said MU-esque team gets hosed in the selection process.
B. Power team who lost still gets in over a smaller team more deserving.

They're leaving it up to the opinion of a few old morons who are out of touch with competitive sports...who will just let their friends into the good games "because we said so!" kind of BS reasoning.

MU could beat UK, who goes on to win 7 games and will get a bowl better than they're worth regardless.

I can't argue with any of that. It's just how UK has thought over the years. You don't see them scheduling Boise either though. It's mostly MAC schools and FCS along with mandated Louisville.

I just don't think we as fans should waste energy on asking why when it comes to UK. I just don't think it's ever going to happen unless we find ourselves matched up in a bowl somehow.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

That sucks because Notre Dame and Ohio State had no problem scheduling us but neither thought we could ever win.

Those are top tier blue blood programs that don't believe they're ever going to lose to Marshall. Even though ND isn't as elite as they think they are.

UK, while they are a P4 and an SEC team, are not under that same mindset.

Marshall and ND could play 100 times and ND probably loses less than 10 games. However if UK and Marshall plays 100 times it's going to be a more even series. When UK struggles to compete in their conference slate they can't afford to gamble with their OoC games.

ND can also rebound from an early loss to Marshall because of their brand cache. UK cannot. Unless they lost to us in game 1 and then ran the table. That isn't happening.

It's a lost cause.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

I remember years ago when we tried to schedule a football game with UK with no success. Ashland Oil (when their HQ was in the Tri State) tried to help by approaching uk for the game and they were no told it would be a lose lose proposition for them. Marshall would have given them all they could have handled in our early days in D1.

We still would and they know that. At worst we have a 50/50 shot to win in Lexington and UK has a less than 30% chance of winning in Huntington.

 

[Rock98Dog]

We still would and they know that. At worst we have a 50/50 shot to win in Lexington and UK has a less than 30% chance of winning in Huntington.

This isn’t the early 2000s any more. UK has gotten a lot better and more consistent over the last 10 or so years and we haven’t been 50/50 to beat any non joke team on the road in 10 years or more.