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  • VAUGHT: Opponent major factor in moving Kentucky to Belk Bowl

    Vicky Graff Photo

    By LARRY VAUGHT

    For several weeks various sources had told me that Tennessee’s strong finish made the Volunteers the team the Taxslayer Gator Bowl in Jacksonville wanted the most unless the Vols got invited to the Outback Bowl.

    However, the Music City Bowl in Nashville also wanted the Vols and to match Tennessee against Louisville in a game both fan bases obviously would have liked.

    However, the Gator Bowl had Kentucky No. 2 on its list for weeks even when others may have doubted it. At the same time, the Belk Bowl in Charlotte made it clear from the start it would like to have Kentucky in its bowl game according to various sources I talked with the last few weeks.

    I actually got up Sunday morning thinking UK would go to the Gator Bowl. However, about 9:30 a.m. two sources not connected with UK told me Tennessee would be in the Gator Bowl and UK in the Belk Bowl.

    Much has been made of Tennessee having it choice of games and how athletics director Philip Fulmer lobbied to get his team into the Gator Bowl. But don’t doubt for a minute that UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart lobbies every year for the best bowl possible for his team. It’s what athletics directors do — and should do.

    However, remember bowl pairings involve a sometimes complex set of factors involving the SEC, ESPN, the bowl committee and in the case of the Gator Bowl, the Big Ten.

    It seemed certain Indiana would represent the Big Ten in the Gator Bowl. Kentucky-Indiana certainly would have been a matchup both fan bases would have liked because of the natural rivalry but also because of the hard feelings that still exist between the schools and fans over Indiana’s court-storming after beating then No. 1 UK in December of 2011. Coach John Calipari ended the series with Indiana over that scene and the two schools have not been able to agree on playing basketball again since then.

    From what I was told, both Indiana and Kentucky representatives reached out to Gator Bowl officials saying if the schools were paired together they would not appear at any pre-bowl functions together. Neither school wanted to be at the same place with the other school.

    Of course, the bowl could have survived that — and maybe even promoted it. But remember the Gator Bowl always had Tennessee at the top of its list and in the end the Vols opted for a bowl in Florida over one in Tennessee, a choice UK obviously also would have made if given the same chance.

    Kentucky fans were giddy when several media outlets reported UK and Indiana in the Gator Bowl was a done deal, something that is never true until the official announcement and that left UK fans confused and upset, especially those who immediately made travel plans or bought Gator Bowl tickets.

    Kentucky athletics director Mitch Barnhart understands the bowl process says the only way to “own the day” is go undefeated and that doesn’t always work.

    “So at the end of the day we'll always be appreciative of where we go. We knew that there was two or three options available. And, basically, two options available to us depending on how many teams got up in the bowl situation. And we knew that in terms of order of choices and how people pick bowls that there was two, about two places that we were going to get to go,” Barnhart said.

    Obviously that was Jacksonville and Charlotte because of Louisville going to Nashville after playing UK in its final regular season game, a blowout win for the Cats, and the Cats had played there two years ago.

    “I knew that we would get a phone call mid-afternoon after the rankings came out and they would say that ‘Hey, this is where it's sort of landed,’ and there would probably be not a lot of room in that and that's okay. We haven't been to Charlotte before. We're excited about it. We have been to the Music City Bowl several times and that's a good thing. We, obviously, couldn't go back there because of the two-year window, and that's okay.”

    Now pay attention to what Barnhart said next.

    “The Gator Bowl was much talked about and there was that conversation. Then you get into opponents and things like that that happen, and then you talk about the Belk Bowl,” Barnhart said.

    Get into opponents and things like that that happen. Can I say Indiana?

    However, no pouting from Barnhart about UK getting to go to the Belk Bowl for the first time.

    “It’s a really good matchup for us against a really good opponent. So I'm excited for our players to get to experience something new. I'm excited that our fans can get there fairly easily. It's a six-hour trip from Lexington,” Barnhart said.

    “And so I think there's a lot of moving pieces to these things and they're really hard. The SEC staff has a really difficult job of trying to match all this stuff up and make it work together. And I think they do a remarkable job year-in and year-out. At the end of the day, we're ready to play and ready to go to Charlotte.”

    Bottom line, that’s where UK plays so best thing to do is embrace it the way senior offensive guard Logan Stenberg was doing Sunday.

    “It doesn’t matter to me. Honestly, Florida would be cool just because its warmer, but other than that, it doesn’t make a difference to me personally,” Stenberg said.


    Comments 11 Comments
    1. UKHistory's Avatar
      UKHistory -
      Larry provides, as usual, a key detail that should not be underestimated. The bitterness over not continuing the home and home carries over between the athletic departments outside the confines of men's basketball.

      Not appearing at bowl activities designed to promote sportsmanship is disappointing. However, I am thrilled that UK won't face IU. Why?

      We don't need them. And Mark Stoops' team does not need to face a team or fan base motivated over the end of a basketball series.

      Virginia Tech is a team that is desired by the SEC should the league expand. The Hokies are also a team that has been nationally competitive in recent years.

      Playing Virginia Tech is a really attractive game against a team from a relatively weak conference. No rivalry. Not revenge. Just a good clean, bone crushing and violent contest between two Southern schools.
    1. UKHistory's Avatar
      UKHistory -
      Quote Originally Posted by bigsky View Post
      "...both Indiana and Kentucky representatives reached out to Gator Bowl officials saying if the schools were paired together they would not appear at any pre-bowl functions together." That is okay with me. Truly
      If I am the Gator Bowl that statement says you have two teams that hate each and even the grownups are not being grownup.

      Football is violent. But it isn't wrestling. I think this impacted the decision as much as ole Fat Full of Himself.
    1. KeithKSR's Avatar
      KeithKSR -
      There isn’t much difference in payouts for the two bowls, and I would much prefer to play Va Tech, they have more football tradition.
    1. KeithKSR's Avatar
      KeithKSR -
      Quote Originally Posted by UKHistory View Post
      Virginia Tech is a team that is desired by the SEC should the league expand. The Hokies are also a team that has been nationally competitive in recent years.
      Va Tech would make a good addition to the SEC East.
    1. CitizenBBN's Avatar
      CitizenBBN -
      From what I was told, both Indiana and Kentucky representatives reached out to Gator Bowl officials saying if the schools were paired together they would not appear at any pre-bowl functions together. Neither school wanted to be at the same place with the other school.

      Dauummm...

      Unlike History, I think it's fine for adults in sports to be this way, and even adults in other things. There are some people I wouldn't pee on if they were on fire, and I'm sure that's true of others.

      IU fan's behavior, before, during and after the game, was beyond any acceptable limits, and UK needs to cut all ties until they address it. Since they think that is perfectly OK behavior, and continue to condone it with other teams and games, I assume we may never play again, which is dandy with me.
    1. catmanjack's Avatar
      catmanjack -
      Shame it can’t happen at UL also.
    1. Darrell KSR's Avatar
      Darrell KSR -
      That probably killed the deal that had been reached. But the Gator Bowl blew it. Like Larry suggested, they not only could have survived it, they could have marketed it and promoted the heck out of it.

      This bowl isn't no damn exhibition. These guys hate each other. They won't even be seen with each other.

      Except for one place.

      The Gator Bowl.

      See the product of their animosity on the field. Be there. 20 years from now there will be 500,000 people that will claim they were there to witness it.

      Be one of the ones who claim it for real. History. Hatfield and McCoys, modern day version.

      Except a lot better than my thumb typing on my phone off the top of my head in 30 seconds.
    1. UKHistory's Avatar
      UKHistory -
      Quote Originally Posted by CitizenBBN View Post
      From what I was told, both Indiana and Kentucky representatives reached out to Gator Bowl officials saying if the schools were paired together they would not appear at any pre-bowl functions together. Neither school wanted to be at the same place with the other school.

      Dauummm...

      Unlike History, I think it's fine for adults in sports to be this way, and even adults in other things. There are some people I wouldn't pee on if they were on fire, and I'm sure that's true of others.

      IU fan's behavior, before, during and after the game, was beyond any acceptable limits, and UK needs to cut all ties until they address it. Since they think that is perfectly OK behavior, and continue to condone it with other teams and games, I assume we may never play again, which is dandy with me.
      To be fair I do have a list of graves to piss on before my end. Pitino is one. Laettner another. We are the same age so it will be a race.
    1. CitizenBBN's Avatar
      CitizenBBN -
      Quote Originally Posted by Darrell KSR View Post
      That probably killed the deal that had been reached. But the Gator Bowl blew it. Like Larry suggested, they not only could have survived it, they could have marketed it and promoted the heck out of it.

      This bowl isn't no damn exhibition. These guys hate each other. They won't even be seen with each other.

      Except for one place.

      The Gator Bowl.

      See the product of their animosity on the field. Be there. 20 years from now there will be 500,000 people that will claim they were there to witness it.

      Be one of the ones who claim it for real. History. Hatfield and McCoys, modern day version.

      Except a lot better than my thumb typing on my phone off the top of my head in 30 seconds.
      Absolutely. This was a made for TV matchup if both schools refused to even be in the same building other than to be on the field. That's marketing gold.

      They really missed an opportunity.
    1. UKHistory's Avatar
      UKHistory -
      I think Indiana hates Kentucky a lot more than UK hates the Hoosiers. In that scenario, the advantage goes to IU. No need to play this game.

      If I am the Gator Bowl, I don't want (and maybe they do/did) a spectacle of cheap shots, ignorant stunts ala the Egg Bowl, haymakers and midfield brawls. And that is just Fred Glass during the coin toss.

      I am really happy with the Belk Bowl.
    1. MickintheHam's Avatar
      MickintheHam -
      Quote Originally Posted by Darrell KSR View Post
      That probably killed the deal that had been reached. But the Gator Bowl blew it. Like Larry suggested, they not only could have survived it, they could have marketed it and promoted the heck out of it.

      This bowl isn't no damn exhibition. These guys hate each other. They won't even be seen with each other.

      Except for one place.

      The Gator Bowl.

      See the product of their animosity on the field. Be there. 20 years from now there will be 500,000 people that will claim they were there to witness it.

      Be one of the ones who claim it for real. History. Hatfield and McCoys, modern day version.

      Except a lot better than my thumb typing on my phone off the top of my head in 30 seconds.
      I
      I really don't believe the Gator Bowl had the final say on the pairing. The Conference holds sway on which conference team goes to which bowl in the lesser tier of bowls. This is purely a case of Phil wanting to go to a Florida bowl, so they could brag on the resurgence of football at UT. He literally threw his weight with the conference office and used the win over Kentucky as the leverage. The SEC and the Gator Bowl both understood the marketing angle, but in the end Phil got his way. There was nothing for him to gain playing a game against a Patsy in Nashville. My apologies to any of you whose wife or mother is named Patsy.
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