Kentucky's tough schedule kept John Calipari from starting series with Indiana until 2025. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Indiana coach Mike Woodson had to compromise on a true home-and-home series with Kentucky to get coach John Calipari agree to resume the series. The schools will play four years starting in 2025 with games at Rupp Arena-Indianapolis-Rupp Arena-Bloomington.
“That was the only way I could get it done,” Woodson said at the Big Ten Media Days. “We’ll move forward probably after that last year of it being in Bloomington, to maybe have it Rupp-Bloomington-Rupp-Bloomington and just leave it that way.”
Kentucky lost in Bloomington in 2011 and fans stormed the court after the win. The two teams have not met in the regular season since then because Calipari vowed he would not go back to Bloomington, an indication he might not still be coaching at UK in 2028 when the game returns to the IU campus.
The most recent game was in the 2016 NCAA Tournament when Indiana won but Kentucky still leads the series 32-25.
“Mike and I talked. Wanted to do it. We had to move it back because our schedule, we have one of the toughest schedules in the country every year, so we moved it out a little bit,” Calipari said at SEC Media Days Wednesday. “I think it’s good for both programs. Excited to get started with it.”
Woodson said he’s “excited” about playing UK again and many Kentucky fans also were excited about the rivalry being renewed starting in 2025.
“We spoke when I first got the job about it. John and I have known each other for many years and I have the utmost respect for him and his coaching and what he’s done over the years as a coach, and I’m sure he feels the same way about me,” Woodson said.
“It was something that had to happen, and we stayed in each other’s ears until we got our ADs together and actually got it done. I’m happy for it because I think the fans want to see that. It’s been so competitive over the years. Fans have become accustomed to playing Kentucky and vice versa, so I think it’s good for basketball, I do.”
5 Responses
I really wish we would NEVER play iu again, unless we are forced to in the NCAA tourney. This does nothing for UK. It is a lose/lose for UK. They have the absolute worst fan base in all of sports. I heard numerous stories of how their despicable fan base treated UK fans in Bloomington in 2011, most of which occurred before the game.
I have a friend in Evansville that knows Calbert Cheaney, mainly from pickup games like church league etc. He would run into Cheaney a lot when he came back to Evansville. In 2011 Cheaney was on the iu staff as something like an administrative assistant. He was on the bench, but was not a coach. After the game my friend was close to Cheaney in all the mayhem and my friend heard Cheaney yelling at KY fans saying something to the effect, get your redneck hillbilly a$$’s back to Kentucky. After he said this, he looked over at my friend and realized that my friend had witness this bush league gesture, and he just walked away. Now had this just been your normal classless iu fan, you would think nothing of it. This was an iu legend. The most decorated player in iu history. The leading scorer in iu and Big 10 history and most importantly a member of the iu staff. Can you imagine how embarrassed KY fans would be if coach O or Tyler Ulis did this?
I have watched iu 1 time since that 2011 game and that is when they beat us in the tourney with Ulis and Murray. I have not watched 1 second of iu basketball other than that game and will never watch iu again as long as I live, unless UK is playing them. It makes me ill that we have renewed this series.
They are pure rednecks
In that 2011 game, the IU fans cursed UK fans in the crowd and insulted them all night. When they stormed the court at the end of the game, they knocked Darius Miller down and nearly trampled him. He was lucky he didn’t seriously hurt. Then IU had the gall to put the kid that made the game winner on a Wheaties box. Bush league describes it well. I wish UK would never play them again.
UK and UK fans should pretend IU doesn’t exist.
Larry, it’s too late for that now. I will be surprised if we win 1 of those 4 games. I think Calipari will leave before the Bloomington game. Calipari has no love for Kentucky or BBN. He has used us from Day 1 to promote himself and his own personal agendas. Thank you Mitch Barnhart.
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