UGA hD OU scheduled for 23 and 24 for a home and home, but SEC wanted us to cancel because it could cause an issue with conference scheduling in 24.
2025 Schedule: 4 OOC Games? How?
- Thread starter vhcat70
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UGA hD OU scheduled for 23 and 24 for a home and home, but SEC wanted us to cancel because it could cause an issue with conference scheduling in 24.
Because it’s not smart to. 2 coaches ago put them on the schedule. The last coach didn’t want them on the schedule. The current coach will play anyone.
I think they’ve earned a break.
UCLA is a perfect example of what I’m talking about. They’re going to go play in the rose bowl. Not that UGA needed exposure to a wider audience or help in recruiting but they’ll be on a prime time slot playing before a west coast audience that maybe doesn’t pay attention to sec football a lot. If you think Kirby isn’t going to sneak out of there without an LA recruit or two…your wrong. Plus UCLA is better than half the teams in the east…that’s how the rich get richer folks…playing a good team in a great atmospher…there will be no shell shock transitioning to conference play
Mean while UK is playin Eastern Michigan. Nobody will see it.
Kudos to Texas for hosting Bama…that was a great game. I think they have future dates with Ohio State and Michigan.
Look at the cards…gonna take on UGA. They also have IU in the future.
Vols have dates with UVA, Syracuse, Nebraska
SC- Unc, Va Tech, Miami
Mizz-KSU, KU, Illinois, Boston College
Vandy-Wake Forest, va tech, NCST,
Florida-fsu, Miami, Cal, NCST, Colorado, ASU…
I mean this fallacy of “ 3 easy wins” or “no home n homes to maximize home games for us” has got to stop. Everybody else is scheduling a decent opponent if not every year then every other year. EVEN VANDY!
I mean it’s embarrassing scrolling through those future OOC schedules! Seeing the likes of the afore mentioned opponents…then you get to UK…”ooooooohh let’s see who the mighty troops of stoops are taking on to get prepped for sec play and maybe expand the brand/gain a little exposure in some other recruiting markets“
Ball state, EKU, Murray…and a bunch of Ohio trade schools…
It's all to inflate the record. Stoops and Barney know our fanbase is content with 7 to 9 wins and the understanding winning anything that matters like the SEC East, SEC, news year 6 bowl or hell getting to one for starters, playoff appearance., etc, is unlikely to ever occur.
You are correct that Louisville does have UGA as a future OOC game but they also have Texas A&M scheduled for a Home & Home. Now on the Indiana games well IU is trying to get out of those games including the one for next year. IU wants to replace Louisville with FCS type schools to help them get to a bowl game. I believe the two will play the game next year but I expect IU to back out of the 24 & 25 games which will cost them $2 million to cancel those games.
Playing the 3 "easy" wins, is the best recipe UK has for ever getting to a playoff appearance.
Kind of weird someone in this thread is pretending UK is the only SEC school that schedules 2 or 3 easy Group of 5 or 1-AA games yearly. Then throwing random home & home OOC series spread out over the next 10 yrs as some kind of proof UK is an outlier?
Check how many times in the last 15 years Alabama played more than 1 Power 5 OOC game. Or Florida. Most every SEC team, more than 1 power 5 OOC game is an outlier, not the standard.
What is the arguement, playing tougher ooc games makes UK football better? How? Our young players are deprived of the live game action & film they get playing easy ooc games, that makes us better? Really? I get it, this is the same silly argument I got into with a dumb Louisville radio guy who said Stoops HAD TO improve his schedule. Why, to give radio shows something to talk about? To give season tix buyers satisfaction of paying for Indiana instead of Kent St? That UK against a comparable mid level power 5 school will be put on prime time national tv - it won't, we ain't enough of a draw.
Stoops & Brooks before him follow the Bill Snyder Kansas St formula here. Seems to me it works. Or you can be an idiot and schedule like Arkansas did for 2022. So brave! Bet recruits were so impressed!
Check how many times in the last 15 years Alabama played more than 1 Power 5 OOC game. Or Florida. Most every SEC team, more than 1 power 5 OOC game is an outlier, not the standard.
What is the arguement, playing tougher ooc games makes UK football better? How? Our young players are deprived of the live game action & film they get playing easy ooc games, that makes us better? Really? I get it, this is the same silly argument I got into with a dumb Louisville radio guy who said Stoops HAD TO improve his schedule. Why, to give radio shows something to talk about? To give season tix buyers satisfaction of paying for Indiana instead of Kent St? That UK against a comparable mid level power 5 school will be put on prime time national tv - it won't, we ain't enough of a draw.
Stoops & Brooks before him follow the Bill Snyder Kansas St formula here. Seems to me it works. Or you can be an idiot and schedule like Arkansas did for 2022. So brave! Bet recruits were so impressed!
It would be truly dumb to drop the UL game. It’s the only rivalry we have. It has helped both programs immensely.
Wrong thing to say to sell us, dude. The very last thing UK football should ever consider doing is anything that benefits them in any way possible.
Can only be one top priority when putting the schedule together. Winning the state or winning the bigger picture the championship. While you can do both, it makes no sense to play 9 tough SEC games and add a 10th tough game against someone that their top priority from a fans standpoint is beating us. That just makes it that much harder to reach the ultimate goal. Winning 9 games in the SEC in our lifetime may never happen anyway. Also I don't understand why we want to help them, the game can only benefit them. All we can get is bragging rights, and that is nothing in the big picture of where we want to go.
One thing is certain, we are in the big boy conference of college football. We either compete or become the doormat of old.
We have to invest whatever it takes to get on and stay at the level of most of the country’s elite programs. They are not going to show us any special treatment as we adjust to the reality of being in this meat grinder.
If the SEC super-conference tells us that we are going to play 9 conference games and Louisville then we’re going to do it or look for another conference.
The years when we could just fart along waiting for basketball season are gone. We chose to upgrade our football program just in time for the new era that began with the playoff.
With Stoops we are no longer considered to be a doormat. We mustn’t take a step backwards by crying about a too-tough schedule. SEC Shorts will skewer any program that shows a weakness.
We have to invest whatever it takes to get on and stay at the level of most of the country’s elite programs. They are not going to show us any special treatment as we adjust to the reality of being in this meat grinder.
If the SEC super-conference tells us that we are going to play 9 conference games and Louisville then we’re going to do it or look for another conference.
The years when we could just fart along waiting for basketball season are gone. We chose to upgrade our football program just in time for the new era that began with the playoff.
With Stoops we are no longer considered to be a doormat. We mustn’t take a step backwards by crying about a too-tough schedule. SEC Shorts will skewer any program that shows a weakness.
Plenty of programs across all P5s have 2 OOC P5s.
If IU, Texas Tech, Washington state, Arizona and other mid to lower tier P5s are just too horrifying to even think about I’ll settle for some solid G5 action if it gets us out of CMS wearing out the Lake Erie region MAC schools.
Fresno St, SMU, Hawaii…
As far as reps for younger guys…when has CMS ever given significant run to back ups in ooc games? I’d just as soon starters get better reps against a better opponent.
Bill Snyder and KSU’s OOC may have sufficed to prep them for big 12 action. Our current schedule does nothing to prep for sec play.
Arkansas is about 10 spots ahead in recruiting rankings…they beat BYU and Cinci on ESPN whole. We were playing tiddlywinks on espn+…guess which one recruits were watching
Im also a big believer in starting the season off with a good game for the sake of fan interest, filling up the stadium, etc…The MAC schools just don’t do it. There’s nothing less satisfying than a milk toast start to the season especially at home.
Maybe moving UL back early solves the issue. Kicks the season off hot, fills up the stadium, gives the squad a half way competitive look before SEC kicks off, might get a decent tv spot…”acc v sec kickoff”
Would still argue for another decent opponent.
We don't play in any old average P5. We play in the toughest.
Lets stick to the SEC: how many times has Alabama, LSU, Florida played more than 1 power 5 out of conference opponents over the last 10 to 15 yrs? Why don't they? Is Nick Saban too stupid to not get his starters "better reps" against teams other than 3 easy UK-like OOC games? Doesn't LSU & Florida want to get their teams ready for conf play?
S Carolina does frequently play 2, because they have a financial deal with Charlotte to play an acc team neutral site, plus their Clemson rivalry.. how has that helped them, in any way?
Not a lot of financial experts on the board -- Football revenue drives the ship. We absolutely have to have a certain number of home games - the scum up I64 would take one of those home games every other year.
That's just not true, play one of those kickoff games in a neutral city will double any home game monies. UGA makes more going to Jax than it does on a home game. No reason UK wouldn't do the same.
Florida plays 2 every year through 2030. They also played 2 this past season 2019, 2017, 2013
Bama and lsu have a bunch of 2 p5 OOC seasons going forward…not a lot in the past but the one ooc they do have is usually pretty good
SC has had some good runs…unc game is usually a decent tv spot because it’s always one of the first games of the season big acc v sec type deal to kick off the year while everyone else is playing the ball states and akrons of the world SC is going to be playing a big boy game on a big boy channel…
Home games mean nothing if seats are empty. The UK program needs to abandon the idea that MAC teams are appealing to the fans.
UL was an easier out than N. Illinois was this year. Last few years, teams like Chattanooga, Southern Miss, Eastern Michigan are high risk and low reward. Even the EKU and Toledo games were tight going into the 4th. Not sure how these games are considered easier wins than UL has been over the last couple years.
Last 4 years wins, Uk has out scored UL 223-57.
Last 4 years wins, Uk has out scored UL 223-57.
Haha, Bama hasn't had "a lot" of 2 p5 ooc games? Try zero.
Look closer, their ooc schedule format is identical to UKs. It is just inconvenient for your arguements to admit that, isn't it? Even worst than UK - at least we play UL home & home. Bamas 1 power 5 ooc yearly is usually "neutral site"....in Atlanta or Florida or Dallas. Where they will have at least 75% of the fans. Hardly neutral!
Oh...."going forward" these schools are gonna play 2 p5 ooc? Right. Sure. Ok. They promise. Think that is gonna stick with a 9 game SEC sched? Really?
Call me crazy, but I don't believe SEC teams are actually gonna play 9 conference games, then an ACC team, and a B1g T3n, and only 1 easy game out of 12.
Even more crazy to advocate for a non power like UK to schedule 12 games that way. Cutting off your nose to spite your face foolish.
This dumbass is why some people think Barney is a great AD. Compared to what we had, he is.
2023 Kentucky Football Schedule | ||||
| Date | Opponent | Time/TV | Tickets | |
| Saturday Sep. 2 |  | Ball State Cardinals Kroger Field, Lexington, KY | Time TBA ETTV TBA | Buy Tickets |
| Saturday Sep. 9 |  | Eastern Kentucky Colonels Kroger Field, Lexington, KY | Time TBA ETTV TBA | Buy Tickets |
| Saturday Sep. 16 |  | Akron Zips Kroger Field, Lexington, KY | Time TBA ETTV TBA | Buy Tickets |
| Saturday Sep. 23 |  | at Vanderbilt Commodores FirstBank Stadium, Nashville, TN | Time TBA ETTV TBA | Buy Tickets |
| Saturday Sep. 30 |  | Florida Gators Kroger Field, Lexington, KY | Time TBA ETTV TBA | Buy Tickets |
| Saturday Oct. 7 |  | at Georgia Bulldogs Sanford Stadium, Athens, GA | Time TBA ETTV TBA | Buy Tickets |
| Saturday Oct. 14 |  | Missouri Tigers Kroger Field, Lexington, KY | Time TBA ETTV TBA | Buy Tickets |
| Saturday Oct. 21 | OFF | |||
| Saturday Oct. 28 |  | Tennessee Volunteers Kroger Field, Lexington, KY | Time TBA ETTV TBA | Buy Tickets |
| Saturday Nov. 4 |  | at Mississippi State Bulldogs Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville, MS | Time TBA ETTV TBA | Buy Tickets |
| Saturday Nov. 11 |  | Alabama Crimson Tide Kroger Field, Lexington, KY | Time TBA ETTV TBA | Buy Tickets |
| Saturday Nov. 18 |  | at South Carolina Gamecocks Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC | Time TBA ETTV TBA | Buy Tickets |
| Saturday Nov. 25 |  | at Louisville Cardinals Cardinal Stadium, Louisville, KY | Time TBA ETTV TBA |
I don’t think those first three games will have SRO crowds.
Focusing on those three games, we need the wins and we need to get our footing before the pro schedule starts. Finishing strong every season will fill those seats up. Working where we want to go, championships and/or playoffs will fill those seats up. Meat grinder schedule like that and still not good enough for some fans. We don't sign the number of four and five star recruits that the top programs do so taking smaller steps for us to get there. So losing some quality depth before our pro season starts does not seem very smart to me. Could go on and on with stuff but the bottom line is when looking at the big picture of where we want to go scheduling the right way to get there has to be. Not just looking at individual game thrill seekers for the fans. Get our recruiting built up like the top teams we can take on a little more on the schedule. Study our roster and you can easily see that.
2023 Kentucky Football Schedule
Date Opponent Time/TV Tickets Saturday
Sep. 2Ball State Cardinals Kroger Field, Lexington, KY Time TBA ETTV TBA Buy Tickets Saturday
Sep. 9Eastern Kentucky Colonels Kroger Field, Lexington, KY Time TBA ETTV TBA Buy Tickets Saturday
Sep. 16Akron Zips Kroger Field, Lexington, KY Time TBA ETTV TBA Buy Tickets Saturday
Sep. 23at Vanderbilt Commodores FirstBank Stadium, Nashville, TN Time TBA ETTV TBA Buy Tickets Saturday
Sep. 30Florida Gators Kroger Field, Lexington, KY Time TBA ETTV TBA Buy Tickets Saturday
Oct. 7at Georgia Bulldogs Sanford Stadium, Athens, GA Time TBA ETTV TBA Buy Tickets Saturday
Oct. 14Missouri Tigers Kroger Field, Lexington, KY Time TBA ETTV TBA Buy Tickets Saturday
Oct. 21OFF Saturday
Oct. 28Tennessee Volunteers Kroger Field, Lexington, KY Time TBA ETTV TBA Buy Tickets Saturday
Nov. 4at Mississippi State Bulldogs Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville, MS Time TBA ETTV TBA Buy Tickets Saturday
Nov. 11Alabama Crimson Tide Kroger Field, Lexington, KY Time TBA ETTV TBA Buy Tickets Saturday
Nov. 18at South Carolina Gamecocks Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC Time TBA ETTV TBA Buy Tickets Saturday
Nov. 25at Louisville Cardinals Cardinal Stadium, Louisville, KY Time TBA ETTV TBA
I don’t think those first three games will have SRO crowds.
Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity, not progress. There is simply no reason for UK to be a major sponsor of the MAC. I can halfway understand scheduling EKU because they’re a state school.
If we’re going to help prop up lower division schools, why don’t we schedule the Colonels, Murray State, Morehead State and Western Kentucky instead of MAC schools. Keep the money in the Commonwealth.
Of course I’m being facetious but if the AD and UK’s admin discount the importance of what the fans want, and that’s been the case over the history of our program, why should they fork over big bucks for tickets to watch MAC teams year after year after year?
No one in authority at UK has ever in any way possible said their scheduling philosophy is to financially support MAC or any group of 5 conferences, or 1-aa.
CFB D-1 scheduling rules prevents UK from scheduling more than one 1-AA team a season. So UK can only rotate eku & Murray St. Morehead St isn't even 1-AA any longer, hasn't been for 20+ yrs.
UK experienced increases in attendance in recent seasons following stadium redesign. 2022 was more attended than 2021.
CFB D-1 scheduling rules prevents UK from scheduling more than one 1-AA team a season. So UK can only rotate eku & Murray St. Morehead St isn't even 1-AA any longer, hasn't been for 20+ yrs.
UK experienced increases in attendance in recent seasons following stadium redesign. 2022 was more attended than 2021.
So some fans would rather tack on three more harder games to go with the SEC schedule and if affects our recruiting, ability to compete in the SEC and our chance of making the playoffs then so be it? Our thinking on the subject is just too different for me to get a handle on. I just want what is best for us to compete nationally for a championship and could care less about not getting to be hyped up over OOC games. I just want to win win win and that will help recruiting and moving up the ladder little by little till we can break through competing with the top programs on a regular basis.
May I ask if we have ever discussed the issue of UK OOC schedule? This seems to be a brand new topic and I have learned a lot of things I did not know before, so thanks for bringing it up.
Could I raise another novel topic? Can we please serve beer at CWS this fall? I would sure like to hear some opinions about the pros and cons of the sale of beer during games.
Thanks in advance.
Could I raise another novel topic? Can we please serve beer at CWS this fall? I would sure like to hear some opinions about the pros and cons of the sale of beer during games.
Thanks in advance.
LV...^ Both of those new topics are better than a new LV thread.
Louisville?
Larry Vaught?
Las Vegas?
Lascivious Venezuelans?
So what will you, as a fan, get out of going (the expense and lack of excitement notwithstanding) to the Ball State, EKU and Akron games?
Also, what benefit is there to scheduling these three teams consecutively to start the season? Wouldn’t it be better to mix them into the murders row of SEC games? I know Mizzou does this, too, but I think most SEC teams like to have a “breather” before or after a big game. If the Big 6 can do it, why can’t we?
-see Devin Leary throw it
-see Ray Davis run it
-see Liam Coen call plays
-see Key & Brown & Tayvion catch a bunch in a better scheme
-see new transfer corners start
Pretty exciting shit for me. But I'm just a UK football fan. Want exciting match-ups all the time with no easy weeks? switch to NFL. Yer following the wrong sport.
Oh and what benefit does the team get? 3 manageable opponents to integrate in new starting QB, starting RB, probably 2 or 3 new O linemen.
Almost like this was done on purpose!!!! Like whoever did this sched knew Levis would be gone after 2022!!!! Isn't that an amazing coincidence????
