Kentucky–Louisville rivalry


University of Kentucky|University of Louisville|
Founded18651798
TypePublicPublic
LocationLexingtonLouisville
ConferenceSECACC
Students29,18222,640
School colors
NicknameWildcatsCardinals
StadiumKroger FieldCardinal Stadium
ArenaRupp ArenaKFC Yum! Center

The Kentucky–Louisville rivalry refers to the rivalry between the University of Kentucky Wildcats and the University of Louisville Cardinals. The Kentucky–Louisville rivalry is one of the most passionate rivalries, especially in men's college basketball. It is considered one of the most intense rivalries in the NCAA. The intensity of the rivalry is captivated by the proximity of the two schools and the state of Kentucky's interest in college sports.

Men's basketball

The Kentucky–Louisville rivalry has been ranked the 2nd best rivalry in college basketball by Bleacher Report and 3rd best rivalry in all of college sports by Basketball Hall of Fame contributor Dick Vitale. Kentucky and Louisville first played against each other in 1913 but stopped playing each other in the 1920s, playing only twelve times between 1913 and 1983. The rivalry was generally dormant with only occasional matchups until the teams met in the 1983 NCAA Tournament. Since then, the two teams have met each year in late December or early January.
Much like the Iron Bowl, the Kentucky–Louisville rivalry is all the more intense because the two schools have consistently been among the nation's elite men's basketball teams for most of the last 50 years. Both schools are also two of the most victorious programs in NCAA men's basketball history; Kentucky is #1 on the list of all-time winningest programs in Division I Men's Basketball and Louisville #26. Kentucky has eight national championships and Louisville two, one having been vacated by the NCAA. Both schools also sit in the top ten of men's basketball teams that have had athletes to be picked in the first round of the NBA draft. Kentucky has had 46 players selected in the first round, while Louisville has had 24.

History

The rivalry was fueled when Rick Pitino was hired as Louisville's head men's basketball coach in 2001. He served in that same role with Kentucky from 1989 to 1997. In the time that Rick Pitino was the head coach at Louisville from 2001 to 2017, Kentucky has won 12 of its contests and Louisville has won 6 of its contests. Kentucky leads the all-time series with Louisville 37-16, and Kentucky leads the modern series 28-13. In six tournament meetings as of 2014, Kentucky leads the series four games to two with their most recent win coming in the 2014 sweet sixteen 74-69. The teams met in the 2012 Final Four, and Kentucky defeated Louisville with a score of 69-61 en route to the national title. This was the deepest ever tournament meeting between the two schools and their first tournament meeting since 1984.

Results

Rankings are from the AP Poll

Wins by location

Game MVP

NOTE:. The 2010 game was the inaugural year for the award. The Bluegrass Sports Commission names the Most Valuable Player of the men's basketball game between the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville.
DatePlayerTeamPositionStatistics
12-31-2010 Josh HarrellsonKentuckyC23 Points, 14 Rebounds
12-31-2011 Michael Kidd-GilchristKentuckyF24 Points, 19 Rebounds
12-29-2012 Russ SmithLouisvilleG21 points, 7 rebounds
12-28-2013 James YoungKentuckyF18 Points, 10 Rebounds
12-27-2014 Tyler UlisKentuckyG14 Points, 2 Assists
12-26-2015 Tyler UlisKentuckyG21 Points, 8 Assists
12-21-2016 Quentin SniderLouisvilleG22 Points, 6 Rebounds, 5 Assists
12-29-2017 Shai Gilgeous-AlexanderKentuckyG24 Points, 5 Rebounds, 4 Assists, 3 Steals
12-29-2018 Tyler HerroKentuckyG24 Points, 5 Rebounds, 2 Steals

Broadcast History

Football

The football rivalry between Kentucky and Louisville started one year earlier than the basketball rivalry but also had a long dormant period. Kentucky and Louisville first played each other in football in 1912. Kentucky dominated six meetings between the teams from 1912 until 1924, holding Louisville scoreless in all six games, after which the teams stopped playing. In 1994, with former Kentucky player Howard Schnellenberger coaching Louisville, the series was revived after a 70-year dormancy. Kentucky leads the series currently 17–15 but Louisville leads the Governors Cup series 15-11.
From 1994 to 2006 the annual matchup was the first game of the season for Kentucky and was the first game for all but two of those years for Louisville. In 2007 the game was moved to the third game of the season when played in Lexington but remained the first game when played in Louisville. Starting in 2014, which marked Louisville's inaugural season in the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Governor's Cup became the last game of the regular season for both teams to coincide with several other ACC-SEC same-state rivalries.
The 2019 game was won by Kentucky 45-13. Kentucky wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr. was named MVP of the showdown.

Other sports