Sports in Kentucky refers to the athletic culture, events, and teams associated with the U.S. state of Kentucky. The state is best known for horse racing, particularly the Kentucky Derby, which is held annually in Louisville and is one of the most famous horse races in the world. Kentucky is also home to major college basketball programs, especially the University of Louisville Cardinals and their rivals the University of Kentucky Wildcats, both of which have strong fan followings and national success. Many successful athletes were born in the State of Kentucky and have gone on to achieve national success, including Muhammad Ali, Pee Wee Reese, Darrell Griffith, and Allan Houston. Many other athletes also started their careers at Kentucky universities, including Lamar Jackson, Ja Morant, Johnny Unitas, Donovan Mitchell, Kenneth Faried, Will Levis, Wes Unseld, and Teddy Bridgewater.
High school sports
Despite the national stereotype that Kentucky is a diehard basketball state, at the high school level the state produces many times over more top nationally ranked football players than basketball. In the past ten years the state has produced many players ranked among the top 20 in their position, notably Tim Couch, Jacob Tamme, Chris Redman, Dennis Johnson, Eric Shelton, Michael Bush, Brian Brohm, Mario Urrutia, Earl Heyman, André Woodson, Micah Johnson, and DeVante Parker. An increasingly growing number of top baseball talent is also coming from Kentucky, such as Brandon Webb, Austin Kearns, Jo Adell, and Paul Byrd.
Louisville has had practically a monopoly on the state's top players since their recent success on the national stage. The football Cardinals have historically depended on the states of Florida and Georgia for a majority of their talent, and currently over 65% of the team's starters are from those two states.
As of 2012, there were six high school rugby teams in Kentucky.The Courier-Journal, Louisville rugby | Cards have 14 players in the 2012 recruiting class, September 3, 2012, http://www.courier-journal.com/article/B2/20120903/SPORTS02/309030065/Louisville-rugby-Cards-14-players-2012-recruiting-class
College sports
Despite a recent surge in the quality of the University of Louisville football team, and all UofL sports during the "year of the cardinal" or "Louisville slam", college basketball remains the sport of choice in most of Kentucky. Western Kentucky University's men's basketball program is one of the ten most winning in the history of the NCAA, and has one Final Four appearance (1971). Murray State University is a perennial threat to win the Ohio Valley Conference and appear in the NCAA Tournament, having done so 13 times. However, the question in Kentucky college athletics is most often "Red or Blue?" referring to the primary colors of its two flagship universities – the University of Kentucky (blue) and the University of Louisville (red).
In recent years, the Louisville Cardinals have further proven themselves, not only as one of the state's best organized college athletic programs, but elite on the national stage. The University of Louisville Cardinals are consistently the most profitable college sports franchise in the nation, ranking first in Kentucky with a basketball revenue of $42,434,684 during the 2012 fiscal year. Kentucky came in at 5th on the list making $21,598,681. The Cardinals' program has been deemed to have the most equitable fanbase of any school in the country, according to a study conducted by Emory Sports Marketing Analytics. The University of Kentucky is ranked 7th on the list.
The Battle for the Bluegrass
The rivalry between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Duke Blue Devils is perhaps the only in-state basketball rivalry that compares on a national scale to the rivalry between the Kentucky Wildcats and Louisville Cardinals.
A 2006 Lexington Herald-Leader article stated that interest in UofL sports is surging across the state of Kentucky, especially in Hopkinsville and Owensboro.Where is everybody? – Lexington Herald-Leader An October 21, 2006 Louisville Courier-Journal article also stated that the total sales of UofL merchandise has tripled since 2001 and that the school now ranks 32nd nationally in sales, up from 41st in 2001. UofL ranks 2nd in the Big East Conference and the 3rd highest among all urban universities (to Southern California and Miami) in merchandise sales. UK's merchandise sales have steadily remained around 14th in the nation, by far the best in the state. UofL now has more registered collegiate license plates than the University of Kentucky (18,300 to 17,000); a fourfold increase since 2004. In 1995 UK had a 15,000 plate lead on UofL. It is also important to note that in the last few years the Louisville Cardinals have been the most profitable college sports franchise in the nation and have been deemed to have the most equitable fanbase of any school in the country according to a few studies.
Fuel was added to the fire of this rivalry when Rick Pitino, the UK coach who led the Wildcats to their 1996 National Title before leaving to become coach of the NBA's Boston Celtics, returned to the Bluegrass State to coach the Cardinals in 2001. Many in the state compared the move to the treachery of Benedict Arnold. The situation was exacerbated by the transfer of underachieving Wildcat power forward/center Marvin Stone. Stone's best season with the Cats was his sophomore season, when the former McDonald's All-American averaged 6.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Under Pitino, however, Stone averaged 10.7 points and 7.3 rebounds for the Cards, including a 16-point, 7-rebound, 2-block performance against the Wildcats in an 81–63 Louisville win on December 28.CNNSI.com Player Profile – Marvin Stone
College basketball
Basketball is the iconic sport in Kentucky today. However, the first organized team on campus is the women's basketball team. Because after the establishment of the sports department, girls often carry out sports activities in response, and female physical educators also take action quickly. Provide professional assistance to any student run sports club. In the past, the relationship between basketball and the Department of physical education was very bad. Florence Stout, director of women's physical education, tried to make this sport a very limited part of her whole teaching plan. There has been no similar project for female students for nearly 20 years. It was not until the end of 1901 that the school council voted to establish a sports department with both men and women.
The origin of basketball is very humble. It took almost 20 years to establish itself as a viable sport and the main element of school. Basketball was invented in 1891. Its origin is similar to college football. Charles Eliota repeatedly called for the end of football and basketball when he was president of Harvard. And football, like basketball, is short of resources and often can't buy the necessary equipment. The famous coach Adolph Rupp held many positions in the university before basketball was slowly proved. It was many years later that the sports department let him focus on basketball training. Gradually, the basketball team developed from a trivial sport to a strong passion.
The modern series, which began in 1983, was started with a win by the Louisville Cardinals. However, in recent years the Kentucky Wildcats have dominated the series, winning 5 of the last 7 meetings. At least three college coaching legends have been associated with programs in the state of Kentucky: Adolph Rupp (UK), Denny Crum (UofL), and Rick Pitino (both UK and UofL). Also, several successful NBA players played in the state, including Pat Riley, Wes Unseld, and Dan Issel. Only the UCLA Bruins have won more NCAA championships than the Kentucky Wildcats, with the Wildcats ranking first in almost every other significant measure of a successful program. In addition to UK and UofL, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are also a historically successful basketball program.
In 2011, the University of Pikeville won the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship, followed only days later by Bellarmine University, who won the 2011 NCAA Men's Basketball Division II National Championship in Springfield, Massachusetts. Both teams began their 2011–2012 seasons ranked #1 in the nation in their respective leagues. Bellarmine has since moved its athletic program to Division I, joining the ASUN Conference in 2020.
TeamKentucky WildcatsLouisville CardinalsWestern Kentucky Hilltoppers All-time win–loss record (rank)2,021-637 (1st)1,726-874 (12th)1,622–720 (14th) All-time winning percentage (rank)76.0% (1st)66.1% (8th)66.5% (7th) NCAA Tourney appearances55 (1st)41 (5th)21 NCAA Tourney wins (rank)121 (1st)75 (6th)18 NCAA Final Fours17 (T-2nd)10 (T-5th)1 NCAA titles8 (2nd)3 (6th)0
Eras of dominance The impressive history of college basketball in Kentucky has been punctuated by a few notable eras of dominance by the two flagship schools.
UK: Rupp's early years Under Adolph Rupp, the Kentucky Wildcats were the most dominant team in the early history of the NCAA Tournament. From 1942 to 1958 the Wildcats won four NCAA titles (1948, 1949, 1951, 1958). They also won the 1942 National Invitation Tournament.
UofL: The Team of the 1980s The Louisville Cardinals were dubbed "The Team of the 1980s", winning two national titles during that decade (1980 and 1986). (Only the Indiana Hoosiers equaled this number during the 1980s.) Under coach Denny Crum, UofL was the only team to go to four Final Fours during the decade, and had more wins than any other team over that span. Darrell Griffith won the John Wooden Award in 1980 and in 1986 "Never Nervous" Pervis Ellison became the first freshman to ever be named NCAA Final Four MVP, a feat equaled only by Syracuse's Carmelo Anthony.
UK: The Team of the 1990s The Kentucky Wildcats were the most dominant team of the 1990s, winning two national titles (1996 and 1998), with three straight trips to the NCAA Championship game and four total trips to the Final Four. UK's 1996 National Championship team is considered to be the best NCAA team of all time, as evidenced by the nine players on the roster who played in the NBA.Another future NBA player, Scott Padgett, was attending UK at the time, but was academically ineligible for the 1995–96 season.
Basketball and race Apartheid also existed in sports for a long time. From the first season in 1930 to his retirement in 1972, Adolph Rupp signed only one black player throughout his career in Kentucky. It was not until the 1960s that African American athletes began to be recruited in most regions. Even in the south, where apartheid lasted longer, schools such as Louisville signed their first black players in the early 1960s.
College football