Sports in Kentucky - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

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

Tim Couch

Timothy Scott "Tim" Couch is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at the University of Kentucky...

, Chris Redman, Dennis Johnson, Eric Shelton, Michael Bush

Michael Bush

Michael Bush is an American football running back for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted in the 4th round of the 2007 NFL Draft...

, Brian Brohm

Brian Brohm

Brian Joseph Brohm is an American football quarterback for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft...

, Mario Urrutia, Earl Heyman, André Woodson

André Woodson

Andre' Woodson, Jr. is an American football quarterback. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft and is currently a free agent. Woodson played collegiately at the University of Kentucky...

, and Micah Johnson. An increasingly growing number of top baseball talent is also coming from Kentucky, such as Brandon Webb

Brandon Webb

Brandon Tyler Webb is a Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the 2006 National League Cy Young Award winner.-High school:Webb attended Paul G...

, Austin Kearns

Austin Kearns

Austin Ryan Kearns is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent.-Cincinnati Reds:...

, and Paul Byrd

Paul Byrd

Paul Gregory Byrd is an American professional baseball right-handed starting pitcher who is currently a free agent. He pitched in Major League Baseball from 1995 to 2009. He is known as being the "nicest guy in baseball"...

.

UK has had practically a monopoly on the state's top players, although UofL has made modest in roads in the past five years. The football Cardinals have historically depended on the states of Florida and Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

for a majority of their talent, and currently over 65% of the team's starters are from those two states.

College sports

Despite a recent surge in the quality of the University of Kentucky

University of Kentucky

The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...

football team, college basketball remains the sport of choice in most of Kentucky

Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...

. Western Kentucky University

Western Kentucky University

Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....

'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

Murray State University

Murray State University, located in the city of Murray, Kentucky, is a four-year public university with approximately 10,400 students. The school is Kentucky’s only public university to be listed in the U.S.News & World Report regional university top tier for the past 20 consecutive years...

is a perennial threat to win the Ohio Valley Conference

Ohio Valley Conference

The Ohio Valley Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern and southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Championship Subdivision , the lower of two levels of Division I...

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

University of Kentucky

The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...

(blue) and the University of Louisville

University of Louisville

The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...

(red).

The Battle for the Bluegrass

The rivalry between the North Carolina Tar Heels

North Carolina Tar Heels

The North Carolina Tar Heels are the athletic teams for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to individuals from the state of North Carolina, the Tar Heel State...

and the Duke Blue Devils

Duke Blue Devils

Duke University's 26 varsity sports teams, known as the Blue Devils, compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The name comes from the French "les Diables Bleus" or "the Blue Devils," which was the nickname given during World War I to the Chasseurs Alpins, the French Alpine light infantry...

is perhaps the only in-state basketball rivalry that compares on a national scale to the rivalry between the Kentucky Wildcats

Kentucky Wildcats

The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky , a founding member of the Southeastern Conference...

and Louisville Cardinals

Louisville Cardinals

The Louisville Cardinals are the athletic teams representing the University of Louisville. A member of the Big East Conference since 2005, they are known nationally as traditional powers in men's basketball, women's volleyball, and dance team...

. A 2002 Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...

poll found that 63% of Kentuckians are Kentucky Wildcats

Kentucky Wildcats

The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky , a founding member of the Southeastern Conference...

fans, while 16% are Louisville Cardinals

Louisville Cardinals

fans.

A 2006 Lexington Herald-Leader
Lexington Herald-Leader
The Lexington Herald-Leader is a newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company and based in the U.S. city of Lexington, Kentucky. According to the 1999 Editor & Publisher International Yearbook, the Herald-Leaders paid circulation is the second largest in the Commonwealth of Kentucky...

article stated that interest in UofL sports is surging across the state of Kentucky, especially in Hopkinsville

Hopkinsville, Kentucky

Hopkinsville is a city in Christian County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 31,577 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Christian County.- History :...

and Owensboro

Owensboro, Kentucky

Owensboro is the fourth largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the county seat of Daviess County. It is located on U.S. Route 60 about southeast of Evansville, Indiana, and is the principal city of the Owensboro, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's...

. An October 21, 2006 Louisville Courier-Journal

The Courier-Journal

The Courier-Journal, locally called "The C-J", is the main newspaper for the city of Louisville, Kentucky, USA. According to the 1999 Editor & Publisher International Yearbook, the paper is the 48th largest daily paper in the United States and the single largest in Kentucky.- Origins :The...

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

Big East Conference

The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...

and the 3rd highest among all urban universities (to Southern California

University of Southern California

The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...

and Miami

University of Miami

The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...

) 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

University of Kentucky

The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...

(18,300 to 17,000); a fourfold increase since 2004. In 1995 UK had a 15,000 plate lead on UofL.

Fuel was added to the fire of this rivalry when Rick Pitino

Rick Pitino

Rick Pitino is an American basketball coach. Since 2001, he has been the head coach at the University of Louisville. He has also served as head coach at Boston University, Providence College and the University of Kentucky, leading that program to the NCAA championship in 1996...

, the UK coach who led the Wildcats to their 1996 National Title before leaving to become coach of the NBA

National Basketball Association

The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...

's Boston Celtics

Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...

, returned to the Bluegrass State to coach the Cardinals in 2001. Many in the state compared the move to the treachery of Benedict Arnold

Benedict Arnold

Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...

. The situation was exacerbated by the transfer of underachieving Wildcat power forward

Power forward (basketball)

Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...

/center

Center (basketball)

The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...

Marvin Stone

Marvin Stone (basketball)

Marvin Stone was an American basketball player.Stone was a native of Huntsville, Alabama. While attending Virgil I. Grissom High School he led Grissom to the school's second ever 6A State Title in 1999. The 6'10" center/power forward was regarded as one of the top recruits in the country, as a...

. Stone's best season with the Cats was his sophomore season, when the former McDonald's All-American

McDonald's All-American Team

The McDonald's All-American Game refers to each of the all-star basketball games played each year for boys' and girls' high-school basketball graduates. Consisting of the top American and Canadian players, each team plays a single exhibition game after the conclusion of the high-school basketball...

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.

College basketball

At least three college coaching legends have been associated with programs in the state of Kentucky: Adolph Rupp

Adolph Rupp

Adolph Frederick Rupp was one of the most successful coaches in the history of American college basketball. Rupp is fourth in total victories by a men's NCAA Division I college coach, winning 876 games in 41 years of coaching...

(UK), Denny Crum

Denny Crum

Denzil E. "Denny" Crum is a former American men's college basketball coach at the University of Louisville from 1971 to 2001, compiling a 675–295 record. He guided the Cardinals to two NCAA championships and six Final Fours...

(UofL), and Rick Pitino

Rick Pitino

(both UK and UofL). Also, several successful NBA

National Basketball Association

players played in the state, including Pat Riley

Pat Riley

Patrick James "Pat" Riley is an American professional basketball executive, and a retired coach and player in the NBA. Currently, he is team president of the Miami Heat. Widely regarded as one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time, Riley has served as the head coach of five championship teams...

, Wes Unseld

Wes Unseld

Westley Sissel "Wes" Unseld is an American former basketball player. He spent his entire NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life and college career:Unseld starred on a Seneca High School team...

, and Dan Issel

Dan Issel

Daniel Paul Issel is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player and coach.-Collegiate playing career:...

. Only the UCLA Bruins

UCLA Bruins

The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...

have won more NCAA championships than the Kentucky Wildcats

Kentucky Wildcats

The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky , a founding member of the Southeastern Conference...

, 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

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Basketball team is the men's basketball team that represents WKU in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The Hilltoppers currently compete in the Sun Belt Conference. The team's most recent appearance in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament was in 2009...

are also a historically successful basketball program.

In 2011, the University of Pikeville won the NAIA Mens Basketball National Championship, followed only days later by Bellarmine University

Bellarmine University

Bellarmine University is an independent, private, Catholic university in Louisville, Kentucky. The liberal arts institution opened on October 3, 1950, as Bellarmine College, established by Archbishop John A. Floersh of the Archdiocese of Louisville and named after the Cardinal Saint Robert...

, who won the 2011 NCAA Mens Basketball Division II National Championship

NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship

The NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship is an annual championship tournament for colleges and universities that are members of NCAA Division II, a grouping of schools in the United States that are generally smaller than the higher-profile institutions of Division I...

in Springfield, Massachusetts

Springfield, Massachusetts

Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...

. Both teams began their 2011-2012 seasons ranked #1 in the nation in their respective leagues.

Team	Kentucky Wildcats Kentucky Wildcats The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky , a founding member of the Southeastern Conference...	Louisville Cardinals Louisville Cardinals The Louisville Cardinals are the athletic teams representing the University of Louisville. A member of the Big East Conference since 2005, they are known nationally as traditional powers in men's basketball, women's volleyball, and dance team...	Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Western Kentucky Hilltoppers The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers is the name for all of the men's intercollegiate athletic teams that play for Western Kentucky University. Women's teams are known as Lady Toppers...
All Time Win-Loss Record (Rank)	2,021-637 (1st)	1,607–843 (18th)	1,622–720 (14th)
All Time Winning Percentage (Rank)	76.0% (1st)	65.6% (10th)	69.2% (8th)
NCAA Tourney Appearances	48(1st)	34	21
NCAA Tourney Wins (Rank)	96 (1st)	53 (7th)	18
NCAA Final Fours	13 (4th)	8	1
NCAA Titles	7 (2nd)	2	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

Adolph Rupp

, the Kentucky Wildcats

Kentucky Wildcats

The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky , a founding member of the Southeastern Conference...

were the most dominant team in the early history of the NCAA Tournament

NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship

The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...

. From 1942 to 1958 the Wildcats won four NCAA titles (1948, 1949, 1951, 1958.) They also won the 1942 National Invitation Tournament

National Invitation Tournament

The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...

UofL: The Team of the 1980s

The Louisville Cardinals

Louisville Cardinals

were dubbed "The Team of the 1980s", winning their only two national titles during that decade (1980 and 1986). (Only the Indiana Hoosiers

Indiana Hoosiers

The Indiana Hoosiers are the athletic teams for the Bloomington campus of Indiana University . Athletic teams sponsored by IU Bloomington include cross country, track, baseball, golf, tennis, rowing, volleyball, soccer, football and basketball...

equaled this number during the 1980s.) Under coach Denny Crum

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

Pervis Ellison

Pervis Ellison is a former college and professional NBA basketball player.Ellison was nicknamed "Never Nervous Pervis" for his play with the University of Louisville. At 6 ft 9 in and 242 lb, he started all four years as the center under coach Denny Crum...

became the first freshman to ever be named NCAA Final Four MVP, a feat equaled only by Syracuse's Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Kiyan Anthony , nicknamed "Melo", is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association...

UK: The Team of the 1990s

The Kentucky Wildcats

Kentucky Wildcats

The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky , a founding member of the Southeastern Conference...

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 team 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

National Basketball Association

College football

For all their success in basketball, the Kentucky Wildcats

Kentucky Wildcats

The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky , a founding member of the Southeastern Conference...

have been unable to remain consistently competitive in football. Playing in the brutally competitive Southeastern Conference

Southeastern Conference

The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...

, the Wildcats won an SEC title in 1950 under legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant

Bear Bryant

Paul William "Bear" Bryant was an American college football player and coach. He was best known as the longtime head coach of the University of Alabama football team. During his 25-year tenure as Alabama's head coach, he amassed six national championships and thirteen conference championships...

and shared SEC titles in 1976 and 1977 under Fran Curci

Fran Curci

Fran Curci is a former American football player and coach. He was an All-American quarterback at the University of Miami in 1959...

. Bryant left the school in 1953; some attribute the move to a conclusion that the football program's popularity would always remain a distant second to the basketball program, at that time coached by Adolph Rupp

Adolph Rupp

, a legend in his own right.

As recently as the 1980s, the Louisville Cardinals

Louisville Cardinals

were considered one of the worst Division I football programs in the NCAA, and the school seriously considered disbanding the football program altogether. However, UofL hired legendary coach Howard Schnellenberger

Howard Schnellenberger

Howard Schnellenberger is an American football coach at both the professional and college level. He is currently in his final season as head coach of Florida Atlantic University, having announced his retirement on August 11, 2011, effective at the end of the 2011 season...

in 1984. The team has continued to rise under coaches John L. Smith

John L. Smith

John L. Smith is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the special teams coach at the University of Arkansas, under head coach Bobby Petrino...

and Bobby Petrino

Bobby Petrino

Bobby Petrino is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Arkansas, a position he has held since the 2008 season...

. On November 2, 2006, the 5th-ranked UofL football team

2006 Louisville Cardinals football team

The 2006 Louisville Cardinals football team represented the University of Louisville in the 2006 college football season. The team, led by Bobby Petrino in his fourth year at the school, played their home games in Papa John's Cardinal Stadium...

defeated the 3rd-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers

2006 West Virginia Mountaineers football team

The 2006 West Virginia Mountaineers football team completed the season with a 11–2 record. The Mountaineers had a regular season Big East record of 5–2.-2006 Schedule:-Rankings:- References :...

in what was dubbed "The Dream Game", the second time in Big East

Big East Conference

The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...

history that two top-5 teams had ever met. The game was ranked as the most-viewed ESPN

ESPN

Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....

Thursday night football game ever. The game marked a new high in a program that had been on the rise for several years.

Only one week later the Cardinals were defeated by a third undefeated Big East

Big East Conference

The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...

team, the upstart and 15th-ranked Rutgers Scarlet Knights

2006 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team

The 2006 Rutgers Scarlet Knights campaign was considered by many to be the breakout season for the Rutgers football team. Led by Draddy Trophy winning senior fullback Brian Leonard, sophomore quarterback Mike Teel, sophomore halfback Ray Rice, sophomore wide receiver Tiquan Underwood, junior...

, in what was billed as the biggest college football game in the New York City Metro Area in 60 years

1946 Army vs. Notre Dame football game

The 1946 Army vs. Notre Dame football game was a regular season college football game played on November 9, 1946. Army , then ranked Number 1 in the Associated Press college football poll, played the University of Notre Dame, of South Bend, Indiana, ranked Number 2, at Yankee Stadium in New York City...

; with the Empire State Building

Empire State Building

The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...

even being lit with the Rutgers team colors. The games was also one the highest rated ESPN Thursday Night games ever as a record crowd in Piscataway, New Jersey

Rutgers Stadium

High Point Solutions Stadium is the on-campus football stadium for the football program at Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey. It is located on the Busch Campus at Rutgers, and overlooks the Raritan River to the South. High Point Solutions Stadium was opened on September 3, 1994 when the...

stormed the field in celebration. The loss ended the Cardinals' national title hopes, but the team did receive a bid to the FedEx Orange Bowl. On January 2 the Cardinals defeated Wake Forest 24–13 in the Orange Bowl to claim the teams first BCS Bowl win.

More recently, the state has been at the forefront of coaching integration in Division I FBS football. Following the 2009 season, all three of the state's FBS programs filled their coaching vacancies with African Americans. The first to do so was Western Kentucky, who hired Willie Taggart

Willie Taggart

-References:...

to replace the fired David Elson

David Elson

David Elson is the former head coach of the Western Kentucky University American football program. He held the position from 2003 to 2009. Elson oversaw the transition of WKU from a Football Championship Subdivision to a Football Bowl Subdivision program, the highest division in college...

. Louisville followed suit by hiring Charlie Strong

Charlie Strong

Charlie R. Strong is an American college football coach and former player. Strong is a native of Arkansas and graduated from the University of Central Arkansas, where he played college football...

to replace the fired Steve Kragthorpe

Steve Kragthorpe

Steve Kragthorpe is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the quarterbacks coach for the Louisiana State University Tigers football team. He was head coach at Louisville from 2007 to 2009, and for Tulsa from 2003 through 2006.- Early career :Kragthorpe was born in...

. Finally, Joker Phillips

Joker Phillips

-External links:*...

, who had been the designated successor to Rich Brooks

Rich Brooks

Rich Brooks is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Oregon from 1977 to 1994 and at the University of Kentucky from 2003 to 2009, compiling a career college football record of 128–154–4. Brooks was also the head coach of the...

at Kentucky, took over after the latter announced his retirement. The first African American head coach at any of the Division I football programs in Kentucky was Ron Cooper

Ron Cooper

-External links:* *...

, who coached at Louisville between 1995 and 1997.

The Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Eastern Kentucky Colonels

Eastern Kentucky Colonels

EKU fields teams in 15 varsity sports . The school is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference in Division I of the NCAA , having been a part of the conference since its inception in 1948...

have held a long tradition of football success. Until the 2009-2010 season, the Colonels were tied with Florida State University

Florida State University

The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...

for the most consecutive winning seasons (32). In that season, EKU finished 5-6. Eastern returned to the FCS Playoffs in the 2011 season, in which it lost to #17 James Madison 20-17 in the opening round. The Colonels have won 20 Ohio Valley Conference

Ohio Valley Conference

(OVC) titles and two FCS (formerly I-AA) National Championships, in 1979 and 1982. Much of Eastern Kentucky's success came during the long tenure of head coach Roy Kidd

Roy Kidd

Roy Kidd is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Eastern Kentucky University from 1964 to 2002, compiling a record of 314–124–8. Kidd's Eastern Kentucky Colonels won NCAA Division I-AA Football Championships in 1979 and 1982 and were runners-up...

, who lead the team from 1964 through 2002. The program has continued its success under more recent coaches Danny Hope

Danny Hope

-External links:*...

and Dean Hood

Dean Hood

-External links:*...

List of NCAA teams

School	Nickname	Division	Conference
University of Kentucky University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...	Wildcats/GymKats Kentucky Wildcats The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky , a founding member of the Southeastern Conference...	I	Southeastern Conference Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
University of Louisville University of Louisville The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...	Cardinals Louisville Cardinals The Louisville Cardinals are the athletic teams representing the University of Louisville. A member of the Big East Conference since 2005, they are known nationally as traditional powers in men's basketball, women's volleyball, and dance team...	I	Big East Conference Big East Conference The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
Eastern Kentucky University Eastern Kentucky University Eastern Kentucky University, commonly referred to as Eastern or by the acronym EKU by local residents, is an undergraduate and graduate teaching and research institution located in Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.A.. EKU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...	Colonels/Lady Colonels	I	Ohio Valley Conference Ohio Valley Conference The Ohio Valley Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern and southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Championship Subdivision , the lower of two levels of Division I...
Morehead State University Morehead State University Morehead State University is a public, co-educational university located in Morehead, Kentucky, United States in the foothills of the Daniel Boone National Forest in Rowan County, midway between Lexington, Kentucky, and Huntington, West Virginia. The 2012 edition of "America's Best Colleges" by U.S...	Eagles	I	Ohio Valley Conference Ohio Valley Conference The Ohio Valley Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern and southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Championship Subdivision , the lower of two levels of Division I... /Pioneer Football League Pioneer Football League The Pioneer Football League is a college athletic conference which operates in the East, Midwest, and California of the United States. It has member schools that range from New York, North Carolina, and Florida in the east to California in the west. The conference participates in the NCAA's...
Murray State University Murray State University Murray State University, located in the city of Murray, Kentucky, is a four-year public university with approximately 10,400 students. The school is Kentucky’s only public university to be listed in the U.S.News & World Report regional university top tier for the past 20 consecutive years...	Racers/Lady Racers/Thoroughbreds	I	Ohio Valley Conference Ohio Valley Conference The Ohio Valley Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern and southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Championship Subdivision , the lower of two levels of Division I...
Western Kentucky University Western Kentucky University Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....	Hilltoppers/Lady Toppers Western Kentucky Hilltoppers The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers is the name for all of the men's intercollegiate athletic teams that play for Western Kentucky University. Women's teams are known as Lady Toppers...	I	Sun Belt Conference Sun Belt Conference The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
Bellarmine University Bellarmine University Bellarmine University is an independent, private, Catholic university in Louisville, Kentucky. The liberal arts institution opened on October 3, 1950, as Bellarmine College, established by Archbishop John A. Floersh of the Archdiocese of Louisville and named after the Cardinal Saint Robert...	Knights	I/II	Great Western Lacrosse League Great Western Lacrosse League The Great Western Lacrosse League, also known as the GWLL, was a NCAA Division I men's college lacrosse athletic conference that existed from 1994 to 2009... /Great Lakes Valley Conference Great Lakes Valley Conference The Great Lakes Valley Conference is an intercollegiate athletic conference which competes at the NCAA's Division II level. Member institutions are located in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and Wisconsin....
Kentucky State University Kentucky State University Kentucky State University is a four-year institution of higher learning, located in Frankfort, Kentucky, United States, the Commonwealth's capital. The school is an historically black university, which desegregated in 1954...	Thorobreds/Thorobrettes	II	Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is a College athletic conference consisting of historically black colleges and universities located in the southern United States. Formed in 1913, the SIAC is a member of the NCAA and participates in Division II athletics...
Kentucky Wesleyan College Kentucky Wesleyan College Kentucky Wesleyan College is a private Methodist college in Owensboro, Kentucky, a city on the Ohio River. KWC is just 40 minutes east of Evansville, Indiana, 2 hours north of Nashville, Tennessee, 2 hours west of Louisville, Kentucky, and 4 hours east of St. Louis, Missouri...	Panthers	II	Great Lakes Valley Conference Great Lakes Valley Conference The Great Lakes Valley Conference is an intercollegiate athletic conference which competes at the NCAA's Division II level. Member institutions are located in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and Wisconsin....
Northern Kentucky University Northern Kentucky University \|type = Public\|president= Dr. James C. Votruba\|city = Highland Heights\|state = KY\|country = U.S.\|endowment = $68 million\|students = 15,405\|undergrad = 13,206\|postgrad = 2,199\|faculty = 1,159...	Norse Northern Kentucky Norse The Northern Kentucky Norse are the athletic teams of Northern Kentucky University, located in Highland Heights, Kentucky, United States. NKU is a NCAA Division II school that is part of the Great Lakes Valley Conference...	II	Great Lakes Valley Conference Great Lakes Valley Conference The Great Lakes Valley Conference is an intercollegiate athletic conference which competes at the NCAA's Division II level. Member institutions are located in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and Wisconsin....
Centre College Centre College Centre College is a private liberal arts college in Danville, Kentucky, USA, a community of approximately 16,000 in Boyle County south of Lexington, KY. Centre is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution. Centre was founded by Presbyterian leaders, with whom it maintains a loose...	Colonels	III	Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference , founded in 1962, is an athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas...
Thomas More College Thomas More College Thomas More College is a liberal arts college located in Crestview Hills, Kentucky, USA. Located just ten minutes from Cincinnati, Ohio, the Roman Catholic school serves 1,900 full and part-time students...	Saints	III	Presidents' Athletic Conference Presidents' Athletic Conference The Presidents' Athletic Conference is an athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member teams are private, liberal arts institutions of higher learning located in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Kentucky....
Transylvania University Transylvania University Transylvania University is a private, undergraduate liberal arts college in Lexington, Kentucky, United States, affiliated with the Christian Church . The school was founded in 1780. It offers 38 majors, and pre-professional degrees in engineering and accounting...	Pioneers	III	Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio...

List of NAIA teams

School	Nickname	Conference
Alice Lloyd College Alice Lloyd College Alice Lloyd College is a four-year liberal arts work college in Pippa Passes, Kentucky. It was co-founded by the journalist Alice Spencer Geddes Lloyd, a native of Cambridge, Massachusetts and June Buchanan, a native of New York City, in 1923, at first under the name of Caney Junior College, as an...	Eagles	Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference The Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is a collegiate athletic conference with membership in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics...
Asbury College Asbury College Asbury University, formerly Asbury College, is a Christian liberal arts institution located in Wilmore, Kentucky. Although it is a nondenominational school, the college's foundation stems from a Wesleyan-Holiness tradition. The school offers 50 majors across 17 departments. Primarily a four-year...	Eagles	Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference The Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is a collegiate athletic conference with membership in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics...
Berea College Berea College Berea College is a liberal arts work college in Berea, Kentucky , founded in 1855. Current full-time enrollment is 1,514 students...	Mountaineers	Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference The Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is a collegiate athletic conference with membership in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics...
Brescia University Brescia University Brescia University is a coeducational Catholic university located in Owensboro, Kentucky, in the United States. It was founded in 1950 by the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph as Brescia College. It attained university status in 1998 with the addition of Master's degree programs in...	Bearcats	Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference The Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is a collegiate athletic conference with membership in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics...
Campbellsville University Campbellsville University Campbellsville University, also known as CU, is a private university in Campbellsville, Kentucky, the seat of Taylor County. Founded as Russell Creek Academy, a Baptist institution, the university currently enrolls more than 3,000 students and is open to students of all denominations...	Tigers	Mid-South Conference Mid-South Conference The Mid-South Conference is an athletic conference affiliated with the NAIA. Member institutions are located in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. It is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky....
University of the Cumberlands University of the Cumberlands University of the Cumberlands is a private, liberal arts college located in Williamsburg, Kentucky, with an enrollment of approximately 3,200 students...	Patriots	Mid-South Conference Mid-South Conference The Mid-South Conference is an athletic conference affiliated with the NAIA. Member institutions are located in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. It is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky....
Georgetown College	Tigers	Mid-South Conference Mid-South Conference The Mid-South Conference is an athletic conference affiliated with the NAIA. Member institutions are located in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. It is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky....
Lindsey Wilson College Lindsey Wilson College Lindsey Wilson College is a private four-year college affiliated with the United Methodist Church in an open ecumenical atmosphere. The 45 acre campus is located in Columbia, Kentucky. The school currently offers associate degrees in 11 areas of study, bachelor degrees in 20 areas of study and...	Blue Raiders	Mid-South Conference Mid-South Conference The Mid-South Conference is an athletic conference affiliated with the NAIA. Member institutions are located in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. It is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky....
Mid-Continent University Mid-Continent University Mid-Continent University is a four-year, liberal arts Christian institution located near Mayfield, Kentucky.- History :The university opened in January 1949 in Clinton, Kentucky. The University is now located four miles north of Mayfield....	Cougars	TranSouth Athletic Conference TranSouth Athletic Conference The TranSouth Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference for smaller colleges and universities located in the Southern United States...
Midway College Midway College Midway College is an independent, liberal arts college with approximately 1,800 students located in Midway, Kentucky. Related by covenant to the Christian Church , it currently offers two and four-year degrees. Midway is the only women's college in Kentucky...	Eagles	Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference The Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is a collegiate athletic conference with membership in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics...
University of Pikeville	Bears/Lady Bears	Mid-South Conference Mid-South Conference The Mid-South Conference is an athletic conference affiliated with the NAIA. Member institutions are located in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. It is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky....
Spalding University Spalding University Spalding University is a private, co-educational university affiliated with the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth and located in Louisville, Kentucky.-History:...	Golden Eagles	Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference The Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is a collegiate athletic conference with membership in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics...
Union College Union College Union College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...	Bulldogs	Mid-South Conference Mid-South Conference The Mid-South Conference is an athletic conference affiliated with the NAIA. Member institutions are located in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. It is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky....

NJCAA

School	Nickname
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Southern Baptist Theological Seminary The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary , located in Louisville, Kentucky, is the oldest of the six seminaries affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention . The seminary was founded in 1859, at Greenville, South Carolina. After being closed during the Civil War, it moved in 1877 to Louisville...	N/A
Simmons College of Kentucky Simmons College of Kentucky Simmons College of Kentucky, also referred to as Simmons College and Simmons Bible College, is a private, co-educational college located in Louisville, Kentucky. Founded in 1879, Simmons College is a historically black college...	Panthers

Professional sports teams

Professional football, baseball and basketball all at one time had teams in Kentucky. The National Football League

National Football League

The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

and National League

National League

The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...

had early franchises in Louisville, and the Kentucky Colonels

Kentucky Colonels

The Kentucky Colonels were a member of the American Basketball Association for all of the league's nine years. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels. The Colonels won the most games and had the highest winning percentage of any franchise in the league's history, but the team did...

were a mainstay of the American Basketball Association

American Basketball Association

The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...

that joined the National Basketball Association

National Basketball Association

with the ABA-NBA merger

ABA-NBA merger

The ABA–NBA merger was the merger of the American Basketball Association with the National Basketball Association, which after multiple attempts over several years finally occurred in 1976.- Origins of ABA-NBA competition :...

in 1976; the Colonels were one of only two ABA teams that were kept out of the merger (the other was the Spirits of St. Louis

Spirits of St. Louis

The Spirits of St. Louis were one of two teams still in existence at the end of the American Basketball Association that did not survive the ABA-NBA merger. They were a member of the ABA in its last two seasons, 1974–75 and 1975–76, while playing their home games at the St...

). The New ABA added a Louisville-based team called the Kentucky Colonels

Kentucky Colonels (ABA 2000)

This article is about the professional basketball team in the re-launched American Basketball Association.For the 1967-1976 American Basketball Association team, see Kentucky Colonels....

, which was active from 2004 to 2006, and announced it would locate an expansion team in Murray, Kentucky

Murray, Kentucky

Murray is a city in Calloway County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 17,741 at the 2010 census and has a micropolitan area population of 37,191. It is the 22nd largest city in Kentucky...

in 2007. That team was originally also named the Kentucky Colonels

Kentucky Colonels

, but the name was changed to the Kentucky Retros

Kentucky Retros

The Kentucky Retros was a professional basketball team based in Louisville, Kentucky that was scheduled to begin play in the American Basketball Association in 2007...

in March 2007 in deference to the tradition of the Louisville-based teams. The team eventually announced that they would relocate to Louisville. Pikeville, Kentucky

Pikeville, Kentucky

Pikeville is a city in Pike County, Kentucky. The population was 6,903 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Pike County.-History:On March 25, 1822, the county's government officials decided to build a new county seat named Liberty, one and one-half mile below the mouth of the Russell Fork...

will also become home to pro basketball in the 2007–2008 season, with the East Kentucky Miners

East Kentucky Miners

The East Kentucky Miners are a professional basketball team in the American Basketball Association that began play as a member of the Continental Basketball Association in the 2007-2008 season...

joining the Continental Basketball Association

Continental Basketball Association

The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...

.

The state is home to several minor league sports teams:

In minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...

, the Louisville Bats
Louisville Bats
The Louisville Bats, which play in Louisville, Kentucky, are the AAA minor league baseball affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. The team, formerly known as the Louisville RiverBats, plays in the International League...

of the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...

are the AAA affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....

. The state has two Class A teams—the Lexington Legends
Lexington Legends
The Lexington Legends are a minor league baseball team of the South Atlantic League , and the Class A affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Lexington, Kentucky, and play their home games at Whitaker Bank Ballpark, located in an industrial area on the northeast side of the city just...

are a member of the South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...

and affiliated with the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...

, and the Bowling Green Hot Rods
Bowling Green Hot Rods
The Bowling Green Hot Rods are a minor league baseball team in Bowling Green, Kentucky. They are a Class A team in the Midwest League, and have been a farm team of the Tampa Bay Rays since September 29, 2006...

, an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...

, moved from the SAL to the Midwest League
Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort...

in 2010. In the independent minor leagues, the Florence Freedom
Florence Freedom
The Florence Freedom are a professional baseball team based in the Northern Kentucky city of Florence, located near the city of Cincinnati. The Freedom are a member of the West Division of the Frontier League, an independent baseball league...

are a member of the Frontier League
Frontier League
The Frontier League, based in Sauget, Illinois, is a professional, independent baseball organization located in the Midwestern United States, Western Pennsylvania, and Southern Ontario. It operates mostly in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is not affiliated with either...

's eastern division, playing their home games at Champion Window Field
Champion Window Field
Champion Window Field is a stadium in Florence, Kentucky. It is primarily used for baseball and is the home field of the Florence Freedom independent league baseball team of the Frontier League...

.
In soccer, Louisville is home to two minor league teams. The Louisville Lightning
Louisville Lightning
Louisville Lightning are an indoor soccer team based in Louisville, Kentucky. They joined the Professional Arena Soccer League in 2009. They were confirmed as an expansion team in August of that year and began playing in November of the same year. -History:...

play indoor soccer
Indoor soccer
Indoor soccer or arena soccer, or six-a-side football in the United Kingdom, is a game derived from association football adapted for play in an indoor arena such as a turf-covered hockey arena or skating rink. The most important difference in play is that the indoor field is surrounded by a wall...

in the Professional Arena Soccer League
Professional Arena Soccer League
The Professional Arena Soccer League is an North American indoor soccer league recognized by FIFRA ....

, and the River City Rovers
River City Rovers
River City Rovers is an American soccer team based in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. Founded in 2010, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games on...

, an outdoor team, will begin play in the semi-professional USL Premier Development League
USL Premier Development League
The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid...

in 2011.

Minor league baseball

Louisville Bats
Louisville Bats
The Louisville Bats, which play in Louisville, Kentucky, are the AAA minor league baseball affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. The team, formerly known as the Louisville RiverBats, plays in the International League...

(Triple-A International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...

affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....

)
Bowling Green Hot Rods
Bowling Green Hot Rods
The Bowling Green Hot Rods are a minor league baseball team in Bowling Green, Kentucky. They are a Class A team in the Midwest League, and have been a farm team of the Tampa Bay Rays since September 29, 2006...

(Single-A Midwest League
Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort...

affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...

)
Lexington Legends
Lexington Legends
The Lexington Legends are a minor league baseball team of the South Atlantic League , and the Class A affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Lexington, Kentucky, and play their home games at Whitaker Bank Ballpark, located in an industrial area on the northeast side of the city just...

(Single-A South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...

affiliate of the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...

)
Florence Freedom
Florence Freedom
The Florence Freedom are a professional baseball team based in the Northern Kentucky city of Florence, located near the city of Cincinnati. The Freedom are a member of the West Division of the Frontier League, an independent baseball league...

(Independent, Frontier League
Frontier League
The Frontier League, based in Sauget, Illinois, is a professional, independent baseball organization located in the Midwestern United States, Western Pennsylvania, and Southern Ontario. It operates mostly in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is not affiliated with either...

)

Football

Lexington Horsemen
Lexington Horsemen
The Kentucky Horsemen were an indoor football team based in Lexington, Kentucky. The team played its home games at Rupp Arena. The organization began as a 2003 expansion member of the National Indoor Football League, where they were successful...

(arenafootball2)
Louisville Fire
Louisville Fire
The Louisville Fire was an arena football team that played its home games at the Brown-Forman Field in Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky. They were a 2001 expansion team of the af2. Their owner/operator was former Pro Bowl lineman and Louisville native Will Wolford. The team was somewhat...

(arenafootball2
Af2
AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...

)
Louisville Bulls (Mid Continental Football League)
Northern Kentucky Xtreme (Mid Continental Football League)
Hardin County Wolverines (Mid Continental Football League)
Kentucky Karma
Kentucky Karma
The Kentucky Karma is a team in the Women's Football Alliance. Based in Louisville, the Karma play their home games at South Oldham High School in Crestwood, Kentucky, approximately 20 miles northeast of Louisville...

(National Women's Football Association
National Women's Football Association
The National Women's Football Association was a full-contact American football league for women headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. The league was founded by Catherine Masters in 2000, as the two benchmark teams, the Alabama Renegades and the Nashville Dream played each other six times in...

)

Soccer

River City Rovers
River City Rovers
River City Rovers is an American soccer team based in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. Founded in 2010, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games on...

(PDL
USL Premier Development League
The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid...

)
Louisville Lightning
Louisville Lightning
Louisville Lightning are an indoor soccer team based in Louisville, Kentucky. They joined the Professional Arena Soccer League in 2009. They were confirmed as an expansion team in August of that year and began playing in November of the same year. -History:...

(PASL-Pro
Professional Arena Soccer League
The Professional Arena Soccer League is an North American indoor soccer league recognized by FIFRA ....

)

Hockey

Louisville Chill (Midwest Hockey League
Midwest Hockey League
The Midwest Hockey League was a short-lived proposed low level minor pro hockey league that was scheduled to begin play in the 2009-2010 season...

)
Bluegrass Hockey League (Benton, KY)

Former Professional Teams

National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
- Louisville (NFL)
  Louisville (NFL)
  Louisville, Kentucky had two professional American football teams in the National Football League: the Breckenridges from 1921 to 1923 and the Colonels in 1926. The NFL intended for the Brecks to be a traveling team, however the team played a series of "home" games...
  
  (Brecks/Colonels) (defunct)

South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
- Lexington Giants (defunct)
- Lexington Indians (defunct)
- Lexington Red Sox (defunct)

Frontier League
Frontier League
The Frontier League, based in Sauget, Illinois, is a professional, independent baseball organization located in the Midwestern United States, Western Pennsylvania, and Southern Ontario. It operates mostly in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is not affiliated with either...
- Tri-State Tomahawks
  Tri-State Tomahawks
  The Tri-State Tomahawks were a professional minor league baseball team located in the Ashland, Kentucky metro area. They were an original member of the independent Frontier League in 1993, folding 11 games into the season due to lackluster attendance, often contributed to the untested nature of...
- Kentucky Rifles
  Kentucky Rifles
  The Kentucky Rifles were a professional minor league baseball team located in southeastern Kentucky, USA. They played in the independent Frontier League from 1993-1994. The team folded at the conclusion of the 1994 season....

KITTY League
- Bowling Green Barons (defunct)
- Paducah Indians/Chiefs (defunct)
- Hopkinsville Hoppers (defunct)
- Henderson Hens (defunct)
- Several Maysville
  Maysville
  Maysville is the name of several places in the United States of America:* Maysville, Alabama* Maysville, Colorado* Maysville, Georgia* Maysville, Indiana* Maysville, Iowa* Maysville, Kentucky* Maysville, Maine* Maysville, Missouri...
  
  based teams

American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
- Kentucky Thoroughblades
  Kentucky Thoroughblades
  The Kentucky Thoroughblades were a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, who existed from 1996 to 2001. The Thoroughblades were based in Lexington, Kentucky, playing home games at Rupp Arena...
  
  (moved to Cleveland, Ohio and became the Cleveland Barons (2001-2006)
  Cleveland Barons (2001-2006)
  The Cleveland Barons was a professional hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Cleveland, Ohio, USA at the Gund Arena between 2001 and 2006....
  
  , would move again to Worcester, Massachusetts
  Worcester, Massachusetts
  Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
  
  and are now the Worcester Sharks
  Worcester Sharks
  The Worcester Sharks are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . The franchise is located in Worcester, Massachusetts and play their home games at the DCU Center in Downtown Worcester. The Sharks and the city of Worcester hosted the 2009 AHL All-Star Classic.-History:On...
  
  )
- Louisville Panthers
  Louisville Panthers
  The Louisville Panthers were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Louisville, Kentucky. Their home venue was Freedom Hall at the Kentucky Exposition Center. The mascot was a light brown "panther" named Paws. They were affiliates of the Florida Panthers. The team became...
  
  (moved to Des Moines, Iowa
  Des Moines, Iowa
  Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
  
  and are now the Iowa Stars
  Iowa Stars
  The Iowa Chops were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. The club was based in Des Moines, Iowa at the Wells Fargo Arena.-History:...
  
  )

East Coast Hockey League
- Lexington Men O' War
  Lexington Men O' War
  The Lexington Men O' War were a minor league professional ice hockey team and member of the ECHL. The Men O' War played at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky from 2002-2003. Like Lexington's previous team before them , success on the ice did not bring good attendance figures...
  
  (Moved to Utah
  Utah
  Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
  
  and became Utah Grizzlies
  Utah Grizzlies
  The Utah Grizzlies are a professional ice hockey team in the ECHL. They play out of West Valley City, Utah, United States, with their home games at the Maverik Center.- Franchise history :...
  
  ).
- Louisville Icehawks
  Louisville Icehawks
  The Louisville Icehawks were a professional ice hockey team competing in the East Coast Hockey League. The team, based in Louisville, Kentucky, played from 1990-1994. Their home venue was Broadbent Arena at the Kentucky Exposition Center. The mascot was called Tommy Hawk, a play on tomahawk, and...
  
  (Moved to Florida to become the Jacksonville Lizard Kings
  Jacksonville Lizard Kings
  Jacksonville Lizard Kings were a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Jacksonville, Florida. Formerly known as the Louisville Icehawks, they played in the East Coast Hockey League from 1995–2000...
  
  ).
- Louisville River Frogs
  Louisville River Frogs
  The Louisville River Frogs were a professional ice hockey team competing in the East Coast Hockey League. The team was based in Louisville, Kentucky and played from 1995-1998. Their home venue was Broadbent Arena at the Kentucky Exposition Center...
  
  (Moved to Ohio
  Ohio
  Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
  
  to become the Cincinnati Cyclones
  Cincinnati Cyclones
  The Cincinnati Cyclones are a professional hockey team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The team is a member of the ECHL. Founded in 1990, the team first played their games in the Cincinnati Gardens and now play at U.S. Bank Arena....
  
  ).

American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
- Kentucky Colonels
  Kentucky Colonels
  The Kentucky Colonels were a member of the American Basketball Association for all of the league's nine years. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels. The Colonels won the most games and had the highest winning percentage of any franchise in the league's history, but the team did...
  
  (defunct)

American Basketball Association (2000-)
- Kentucky Retros
  Kentucky Retros
  The Kentucky Retros was a professional basketball team based in Louisville, Kentucky that was scheduled to begin play in the American Basketball Association in 2007...
  
  (defunct)
- Kentucky Colonels
  Kentucky Colonels (ABA 2000)
  This article is about the professional basketball team in the re-launched American Basketball Association.For the 1967-1976 American Basketball Association team, see Kentucky Colonels....
  
  (defunct)
- Kentucky Pro Cats
  Kentucky Pro Cats
  The Kentucky Pro Cats was an American Basketball Association team based in Covington, Kentucky. The team began play in the fall of 2001 and played in the Connor Convocation Center on the campus of Thomas More College. Covington is part of the Northern Kentucky portion of the greater Cincinnati,...
  
  (defunct)

NASCAR Busch Series race team Keith Coleman Racing
Keith Coleman Racing
Keith Coleman Racing was a NASCAR Busch Series team. It fielded the #23 and #26 cars for three seasons. The team was formed in 2004 by New Orleans native, Keith Coleman and at the time bought the team's equipment from Holigan Racing and later from Bill Davis Racing.KCR debuted in 2004 at the Mr....

, based in Eddyville
Eddyville, Kentucky
Eddyville is a city in Lyon County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,350 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lyon County . The Kentucky State Penitentiary is located in Eddyville.-History:...

(defunct)

NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...

Busch Series
Busch Series
The NASCAR Nationwide Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. It is promoted as NASCAR's "minor league" circuit, and is a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organization's "big leagues"; the Sprint Cup circuit...

race team Brewco Motorsports, was based in Central City
Central City, Kentucky
Central City is a city in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 5,893 at the 2000 census. It is also the largest city in the county and the principal community in the Central City Micropolitan Statistical Area which includes all of Muhlenberg County and the communities...

but now renamed Baker-Curb Racing and moved to Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...

High school sports

College sports

The Battle for the Bluegrass

College basketball

Eras of dominance

UK: Rupp's early years

UofL: The Team of the 1980s

UK: The Team of the 1990s

College football

List of NCAA teams

List of NAIA teams

NJCAA

Professional sports teams

Minor league baseball

Football

Soccer

Hockey

Former Professional Teams

See also