Kentucky Football and Basketball

[Sultan__of__Swine]

Always wondered why WVU never plays UK in football and basketball? The schools are contiguous and have so much similarities in culture. It just seems like a perfect matchup and revenue driver for both schools.

Have WVU ever faced UK in the regular season in football or basketball?

 

[Vernon]

Always wondered why WVU never plays UK in football and basketball? The schools are contiguous and have so much similarities in culture. It just seems like a perfect matchup and revenue driver for both schools.

Have WVU ever faced UK in the regular season in football or basketball?

Basketball yes and it's happening next year but UK has been so poor in football it wasn't a a good situation for either school. UK was already facing a brutal SEC schedule and another loss wasn't going to go well with their fans and WVU doesn't gain a lot from beating up on them.

 

[WVUALLEN]

WVU has played Kentucky 20 times in football. WVU 8 Kentucky 11 Ties 1

9 games at home 10 games away 1 bowl.game

 

[atlanta_eer]

"WVU doesn't gain a lot from beating up on them."

WVU doesn't get much out of beating East Carolina either, but at least Kentucky is in the SEC and a neighboring state. I appreciate it not being a great situation for KY, but it seems like it would be a pretty good deal for us...

 

[eerdoc]

"WVU doesn't gain a lot from beating up on them."

WVU doesn't get much out of beating East Carolina either, but at least Kentucky is in the SEC and a neighboring state. I appreciate it not being a great situation for KY, but it seems like it would be a pretty good deal for us...

But East Carolina wants to play us--UK not so much. To schedule a game requires BOTH parties wanting it to be so. Our administration can desire; Our fans can rant and rave and demand; but the bottom line is that those making the decisions in Lexington must have interest in such a game. Seem to see it only as a negative and lose-lose situation for them. Plus, as Vernon said, do we really gain much from beating them?

 

[WVUFanForever]

Another thing you have to realize about UK...they already have a built-in non-conference rival in Louisville.

UK would be silly to play their SEC schedule...have Louisville and want to add us in a yearly game.

Plus I don't see how playing UK would help in recruiting. We don't have any footprints there.

We do get kids from North Carolina (three on the 2016 roster) and we have a pretty big alumni base and fans in that area so playing ECU does provide WVU with other tangibles.

 

[GoWVU]

Let's also remember that East Carolina has been one of the very best scheduling partners WVU has ever had. Many of the games have been as part of 2-for-1, 3-for-1, or one-for-none arrangements. Those deals are vital to fill schedules, and we sure as hell wouldn't get them from Kentucky or any other bigger name.

The Pirates even got us into playing at the Panthers stadium before any other opponents did. I don't recall ever hearing ECU complain about their imbalanced relationship with us, either. They seem happy to accept that it works well for both schools.

For everything they've done to help WVU, all Mountaineer fans should have a soft spot for East Carolina. The overall relationship makes the occasional upset loss worthwhile. Glad to see them back on the slate this year.

 

[~IRWT~]

Let's also remember that East Carolina has been one of the very best scheduling partners WVU has ever had. Many of the games have been as part of 2-for-1, 3-for-1, or one-for-none arrangements. Those deals are vital to fill schedules, and we sure as hell wouldn't get them from Kentucky or any other bigger name.

The Pirates even got us into playing at the Panthers stadium before any other opponents did. I don't recall ever hearing ECU complain about their imbalanced relationship with us, either. They seem happy to accept that it works well for both schools.

For everything they've done to help WVU, all Mountaineer fans should have a soft spot for East Carolina. The overall relationship makes the occasional upset loss worthwhile. Glad to see them back on the slate this year.

Didn't we lose to ECU and Navy in the same year once? Dark days.

 

[GoWVU]

Didn't we lose to ECU and Navy in the same year once? Dark days.

Yes, in 1999. Still, even those dark clouds had a few silver linings. VT's best team ever needed a last-play FG to beat us, and we did manage to drop 52 on Pitt for the second year in a row. [WVU]