Thoughts on the idea of leaving the SEC?

[Dward13]

I have to admit I’ve wondered for a while now if both our football and basketball programs would be better off in another conference.

The sec does us no favors in basketball. Could you imagine duke, UNC or Kansas getting the kind of calls against them that we got against Tennessee? Or anyone getting the whistle against those teams that grant Williams got against us the last two games? Can you imagine duke, UNC or Kansas losing a game the way we lost to LSU?

And I’ve always felt the football program would have a better chance at consistently competing in just about any other conference.

What if it came down to either keeping Cal or staying in the SEC?

 

[WildcatfaninOhio]

No way in HELL will that happen in our lifetime.

But keep coming up with ideas, though!

 

[ORCAT]

This idea pops up now and then on here. No way we leave SEC. We're a founding member and there is way too much money coming in as a member of the SEC.

 

[kev69]

I have to admit I’ve wondered for a while now if both our football and basketball programs would be better off in another conference.

The sec does us no favors in basketball. Could you imagine duke, UNC or Kansas getting the kind of calls against them that we got against Tennessee? Or anyone getting the whistle against those teams that grant Williams got against us the last two games? Can you imagine duke, UNC or Kansas losing a game the way we lost to LSU?

And I’ve always felt the football program would have a better chance at consistently competing in just about any other conference.

What if it came down to either keeping Cal or staying in the SEC?

I hope you’re joking.

The SEC is the biggest cash cow of any conference.

 

[BigRedMachineBigBlueNation]

Even if we went to the ACC I can't see us being put above UNC or Duke in the confrence pecking order.

 

[bthaunert]

If it came down to Cal staying or leaving the SEC ad you say, he’d be shown the door so quick.

Newsflash....SEC football is our cash cow.

 

[Dward13]

Even if we went to the ACC I can't see us being put above UNC or Duke in the confrence pecking order.

I agree it couldn’t be the ACC. We’d still be treated like the enemy. Just think the sec uses our basketball program to try and artificially prop up the rest of the league.

Saturday’s game still not sitting well tbh.

 

[Dward13]

I hope you’re joking.

The SEC is the biggest cash cow of any conference.

I mean do you have a link or something to some numbers that show that we’re really pulling in that much more money from being in the sec?

I’m genuinely curious to see this

 

[awf]

UK Basketball is SEC basketball.......

 

[Dward13]

UK Basketball is SEC basketball.......

Here in lies the problem. The conference gets zero respect nationally because of this, and we get zero respect from the conference despite it.

 

[Deli owl]

I’ll go the other way. I want to get up to 20 teams in the SEC and have four divisions of five teams.

 

[BigRedMachineBigBlueNation]

Here in lies the problem. The conference gets zero respect nationally because of this, and we get zero respect from the conference despite it.

The only way to solve it is for the SEC to step up. Somebody needs to start being consistent. The SEC has trouble maintaining success. When the current team is done they crash and the next team cycles up. See 70s Tennessee, 80s LSU, 90s Miss State and Arkansas, 00s Florida and Tennessee.

And now it's Tennessee again and Auburn

 

[anon_q409idbs5m40a]

This idea pops up now and then on here. No way we leave SEC. We're a founding member and there is way too much money coming in as a member of the SEC.

It's actually been thrown around, mainly by fans and some media hacks, that we should leave the SEC for another conference. I remember an article back in the early '80's about the very same thing. Will never happen unless the entire conference breaks up.

 

[Duke Blu]

UK in the ACC would make a lot of sense IMO. I stated this in another thread. MD left the ACC, and I believe they were an original member there. UK would get to play UL twice. UK basketball would be better off IMO, especially with K and Roy getting older. In football, both Duke and UNC have made it to the title game, so you imagine UK football could enjoy more success. The ACC would be the mother of all conferences in basketball just like the SEC is in football. UK has no chance in football as it stands.

 

[clevenger32]

We were actually asked twice, including while C.M. Newton was athletic director. The ACC were unanimous in their desire to have us and Tom Butters AD at Duke extended the invite on behalf of the ACC to us. We stayed because of of charter membership in the SEC. it was not $ in the early 90s. $ would keep us from leaving period now. I do a lot of work in the ACC footprint. I have yet to ever meet an ACC grad that didn’t think it would be great to have UK in the ACC. We would not be a second rate citizen.

 

[JC43]

I mean do you have a link or something to some numbers that show that we’re really pulling in that much more money from being in the sec?

I’m genuinely curious to see this

https://www.pennlive.com/pennstatefootball/2018/05/sec_football_revenue_alabama_l.html
UK football makes more than UK Basketball, unless we win NCAA...

 

[U Go UK]

Charter member. We’re not leaving.

 

[JC43]

Revenue for 2018 SEC vs Big 10
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.usatoday.com/amp/2743885002

 

[sambowieshin]

Think we get jobbed in the SEC? We would never win another conference title again if we went to the ACC. Duke and UNCheat power brokers would see to that. No thank you.

 

[Dward13]

Revenue for 2018 SEC vs Big 10
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.usatoday.com/amp/2743885002

So the difference in being in the big10 and sec is negligible. Kind of what I figured.

And also I kind of figured football made more than basketball. But that would be the case regardless of conference affiliation...well among the power 5 at least.

Thank you for the links.

 

[Dward13]

Think we get jobbed in the SEC? We would never win another conference title again if we went to the ACC. Duke and UNCheat power brokers would see to that. No thank you.

I don’t disagree. I was thinking big10. Maybe big12 with Self seemingly on his way out. I think the big12 protects Kansas basketball because they’re the only consistent contender. If another would emerge or migrate in I think that could change.

 

[JC43]

So the difference in being in the big10 and sec is negligible. Kind of what I figured.

And also I kind of figured football made more than basketball. But that would be the case regardless of conference affiliation...well among the power 5 at least.

Thank you for the links.

This is first season in 3 that big 10 footbsll made more from revenue sharing per team, it was basically loaded on the front end due to new contract with B10 channel...this is only football
UK basketbsll vs uk football was based on 2017 numbers with uk making it to elite 8

 

[KingOfBBN]

I know we will never leave but I’d like to go to the ACC; easier football schedule and you’d have fan bases who actually gave a crap about basketball. The SEC is getting better but it seems like maybe a couple of teams actually care; Tennessee and Arkansas.

 

[ManitouDan]

Awesome thread ! Is conference USA still available ??

 

[STL_Cat]

Just a terrible idea.

 

[Smashcat]

I hope you’re joking.

The SEC is the biggest cash cow of any conference.

Yep. It’s this basic.

 

[UKUGA]

I think it helps us in football more than we realize.


If we leave the SEC, then our football recruiting drops, and we become a lower-tier ACC team.

No, thank you.

 

[Rembrandt90]

I have to admit I’ve wondered for a while now if both our football and basketball programs would be better off in another conference.

The sec does us no favors in basketball. Could you imagine duke, UNC or Kansas getting the kind of calls against them that we got against Tennessee? Or anyone getting the whistle against those teams that grant Williams got against us the last two games? Can you imagine duke, UNC or Kansas losing a game the way we lost to LSU?

And I’ve always felt the football program would have a better chance at consistently competing in just about any other conference.

What if it came down to either keeping Cal or staying in the SEC?

UK is an original member of the SEC. UK will never leave the SEC. Naive people keep coming up with weak theoretical reasons for UK to leave. But the financial and historical reasons for UK to remain an SEC member far outweigh any possible reasons to leave. And besides that, UK is competing very successfully, thank you.

 

[UKUGA]

You don’t get it. Outside of being “blame the refs” guy you don’t understand the simple concept of business. Leave it to the grown ups.

As much as I dislike SEC refs (in both basketball and football), there is no part of me that believes we will step into the ACC or Big X and magically start getting a favorable whistle.

 

[STL_Cat]

As much as I dislike SEC refs (in both basketball and football), there is no part of me that believes we will step into the ACC or Big X and magically start getting a favorable whistle.

Right. This guy wants to leave the best football conference in hopes that we get a better whistle against ... wait for it ... Duke and North Carolina.

Good luck with that.

 

[Calsthebomb]

Dumb dumb dumb

 

[Dward13]

Right. This guy wants to leave the best football conference in hopes that we get a better whistle against ... wait for it ... Duke and North Carolina.

Good luck with that.

I agreed that we’d be better off avoiding the ACC in that scenario. And I’m not saying I’m completely sold on the idea that leaving the sec would be beneficial.

I don’t think it’s worth completely dismissing though. I just don’t see the evidence that being in the sec as having that big of an impact on our athletic department to the point of routinely getting screwed over in both football and basketball.

 

[Sawnee Cat]

I doubt any of our coaches or anyone of importance in the UK administration shares the feeling we should leave the SEC. They have budgets to meet and bills to pay.

Years ago Georgia Tech thought they would be better off leaving the SEC. They had a good football program, were located in a big city and wanted to keep all of their revenue. So they went Independent. Biggest mistake in Georgia Tech history.

One could argue we should not have joined the SEC when it was founded but we did. Let's get our mind off of things that will not happen and win NUMBER 9

 

[Xception]

UK in the ACC would make a lot of sense IMO. I stated this in another thread. MD left the ACC, and I believe they were an original member there. UK would get to play UL twice. UK basketball would be better off IMO, especially with K and Roy getting older. In football, both Duke and UNC have made it to the title game, so you imagine UK football could enjoy more success. The ACC would be the mother of all conferences in basketball just like the SEC is in football. UK has no chance in football as it stands.

The only problem is that not so long ago there was concern that the ACC could be hurt if it went to the super conferences. So much so that the ACC panicked and took Louisville, which I don’t think they ever consider under normal circumstances.

So if UK went ACC there would be a chance later on of the SEC inviting UNC back and they might take it out of self preservation with the caveat that they take Duke as well. That could leave UK in a floundering ACC that is akin to the old big east, it’s just too risky as the SEC along with the B10 are likely the most secure conferences.

 

[Comebakatz3]

Here in lies the problem. The conference gets zero respect nationally because of this, and we get zero respect from the conference despite it.

A lot of this is perception and I really don’t see how much of it is Kentucky’s fault. The Big 12 as an example… Kansas won the silly thing for 14 some odd years in a row. Despite that, the talking heads would always talk up the Big 12 as though it was a fairly difficult league. If you measure in terms of Final Fours, the SEC has 4 different teams that have gone (Florida, LSU, Kentucky, and South Carolina) in 20 years. I believe that the Big 12 has the exact same amount (Kansas, OK State, Oklahoma, and Texas). You extend that out to 25 years and the SEC adds two more teams (Miss. State and Arkansas). The SEC in that 25 year span also won 6 titles (Kentucky 3, Florida 2, Arkansas 1) while the Big 12 won 1. So, why is the Big 12 perceived to be so much better than the SEC?

 

[Catfanlou]

I have to admit I’ve wondered for a while now if both our football and basketball programs would be better off in another conference.

The sec does us no favors in basketball. Could you imagine duke, UNC or Kansas getting the kind of calls against them that we got against Tennessee? Or anyone getting the whistle against those teams that grant Williams got against us the last two games? Can you imagine duke, UNC or Kansas losing a game the way we lost to LSU?

And I’ve always felt the football program would have a better chance at consistently competing in just about any other conference.

What if it came down to either keeping Cal or staying in the SEC?

It’s all about money and SEC will always make more per school by at least ten million than ACC . Unless you are willing to write a check for two hundred or so million to make up the difference over the next fifteen or so years I say we stay in the SEC and figure out how to continue to complete in the SEC as Stoops has done this year .

 

[MakinMusic]

I don’t think that would ever happen nor do I believe it has ever been discussed. We are a founding member of the conference, one of the originals.

That’s said, to me the only benefit would be for football. We dominate the SEC in basketball. It has worked out well.

 

[Calsarmy]

The #1 reason $45,000,000.00 this year alone from SEC TV revenue sharing. By the way thats actually probably the first 10-15 reasons as I think of it.

 

[JC CATS]

No way in HELL will that happen in our lifetime.

But keep coming up with ideas, though!

How about joining the OVC, we would dominate

 

[LineSkiCat14]

I'd rather see Kentucky try and fix some things and say "enough is enough".