If we stay at 8 SEC games, we need to split the non conference with two cupcakes and two quality opponents.
We play UL regardless of what conference they're in.
Stoops has the job security now to take the chance.
But UK is supposed to be an ambitious program on the rise.
We’re playing on SEC+ because SEC schools are required to have one streaming game per season. It’s part of the SEC contract with ESPN and has nothing to do with our OOC schedule.
I realize that.
No it wouldn’t. Last season our game with Youngstown State was on SEC Network and our game with NIU was on ESPN2.
Then why'd you bring it up? Georgia was on SEC + last week. Georgia is playing Ball State this week. The only P5 opponent on Georgia"s schedule is Georgia Tech, a program vastly worst than our P5 opponent Louisville for 10 yrs.
In fairness to Georgia, they were supposed to start a home and home with Oklahoma today but it got canceled when Oklahoma joined the SEC. I think the reason it had to be canceled and Alabama/Texas didn't is this completes that series. Georgia and Oklahoma were supposed to play next year in Norman so you would have had 2 conference teams playing a non-conference game.
If you don't see a downside for aggressive scheduling, then you don't understand the process of building and managing our football program. Schedules are made and contracts are signed years ahead of time. Sometimes almost a decade ahead. The program is built in stages. New facilities, hold onto the staff and build up the payroll, build up the recruiting budget, establish a self sustaining winning culture. Seven or eight years from now, how do you know Kentucky won't open against Virginia Tech or Maryland? There is a big difference between being smart and being scared.
That's why I started the topic in the first place to see where the fan base stood as far as scheduling.
Thought he had already done those things.
Do you realize how far ahead of time football schedules are negotiated? Maybe you have been confusing public announcements of the schedule with planning and negotiating of the schedule. Two completely different things.
Apples and oranges.
Yes but you can buy out an EKU if the opportunity presents itself for a more lucrative game.
Our killer thing with our schedule is that our in-state rival is OOC. There are very few P5 programs that play more than one P5 program out of conference. The way we schedule is the way 80% of the P5 teajs schedule. If UL was in the SEC, we would be playing a different P5 team every couple of years like a lot of programs do.
Dropping EKU for another P5 opponent is not more lucrative.
I understand but So Carolina does the same but they still opened with UNC.
SC is an exception to the rule. They haven’t gotten any further as a program bc they play two P5 OOC opponents. What is the benefit for them in playing 2 P5 OOC opponents?
They don't have to but a W would be nice for national recognition.
We shouldn't. Few do. Alabama's OOC has been structured like UK for 20 yrs - 1 P5, 2 G5, 1 1-AA. Hell at least UK plays on the road at Louisville every other year - last year at Texas was the first Bama road out of conference in decades. Most of the time Bama has a ""neutral site"" power 5 game in Atlanta....with 90% of the seats.
I guess because the fan base wants to play a rivalry game against UNC and they want to recruit NC and wins against UNC help their cause.
I buy tickets every year.
Better national recognition can be obtained beating Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama
