Kentucky Wildcats
Encyclopedia
The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic
squads of the University of Kentucky
(UK), a founding member of the Southeastern Conference
. Historically, the women's teams and athletes were referred to as the "Lady Kats", but all athletic squads adopted the "Wildcats" nickname in 1995.
Collectively, the fans of the Kentucky Wildcats are often referred to as the Big Blue Nation
.
The university adopted blue and white as its official colors in 1892. Originally, however, UK students had decided on blue and light yellow prior to the Kentucky-Centre College
football game on December 19, 1887. The shade of blue, which is close to a royal blue, was chosen when a student asked the question, "What color blue?" At the time, Richard C. Stoll (who lettered in football at UK in 1889–94) pulled off his necktie and held it up. The students then adopted that particular shade of blue. A year later, UK students officially dropped the light yellow color for white.
, men's & women's basketball
, baseball
, women's volleyball
, softball
, men's & women's cross country
, men's & women's swimming
& diving
, women's gymnastics
, men's & women's soccer, men's & women's track & field (indoor & outdoor), men's & women's golf
, men's & women's tennis
, and the coeducational sport of rifle
. UK also has a men's hockey team that competes at club level, which means that it is student-operated without university assistance, and they compete in the American Collegiate Hockey Association
's Division II level.
UK has won nine national championships with its latest being crowned in 2011 by rifle. UK also boasts the 1988 Women's Cross County national championship and seven other men's basketball titles, with its latest being crowned in 1998. UK was also crowned an NCAA co-champion, after knocking off #1 Oklahoma in the 1951 Sugar Bowl to win the 1950 National Championship in college football.
games with neighboring colleges. The basketball
program began on campus in 1902, originally as a women's sport; a men's team was added one year later. Several decades later, in 1930, then-high school
coach Adolph Rupp
was hired as a basketball coach for the university, a career that would span over 40 years until 1972. During his tenure, he led the Kentucky Wildcats to four NCAA crowns in 1948, 1949, 1951 and 1958. The Wildcats later won a fifth championship under Joe B. Hall
in 1978, another in 1996 under Rick Pitino
and its latest under Orlando "Tubby" Smith in 1998. Currenty, John Calipari is the men's basketball coach for the Kentucky Wildcats. Calipari has been the coach since the 2009-2010 season.
In 2007, the university unveiled the Joe Craft Center
, a $30 million state-of-the-art basketball practice facility for both the men's and women's teams.
basketball programs, the University of Kentucky
men's basketball team is the winningest program in the history of college basketball. The team was the first ever Division I squad to reach 2,000 victories after defeating Drexel University
on December 21, 2009. Kentucky also leads all NCAA schools in all-time winning percentage (.760) with an all-time record of 2017–636–1.
The men's team has earned a total of seven NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
s, second only to UCLA's eleven championships. UK's seven championships were won by four different coaches – Adolph Rupp in 1948, 1949, 1951 and 1958; Joe B. Hall in 1978; Rick Pitino in 1996; and Tubby Smith in 1998. Thus, the Wildcats have garnered four (4) NCAA basketball championships in the last fifty-two (52) seasons. Kentucky also won the 1933 Helms National Championship and two NIT Championships in 1946 and 1976. The program has garnered 44 SEC
regular season titles. The 2009–2010 Kentucky Wildcats were deemed to be co-favorites with Kansas to win yet another NCAA championship; instead their unexpectedly poor play in the NCAA Elite Eight resulted in an upset loss to the West Virginia Mountaineers (West Virginia subsequently lost in the Final Four to eventual champion Duke University). John Wall was the star player for the Wildcats in his freshman year and went as the #1 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft to the Washington Wizards. He was the first Kentucky Wildcat Basketball player to go number 1. The Wildcats had 5 players enter the NBA draft that year, four of whom were freshman: PG John Wall(FR.), SG/PG Eric Bledsoe(FR.), PF Patrick Patterson(JR.), C DeMarcus Cousins(FR.), PF Daniel Orton (FR.). All 5 were drafted in the first round setting a NBA draft record for the most players from a single school to go in the first round.
Led by UK all-time leading scorer Valerie Still
, Patty Jo Hedges, and Lea Wise, the Lady Kats won the SEC Tournament in 1982
. The following year, the same trio led the team to a #4 ranking in the country, the highest in the team's history.
The team is currently coached by Matthew Mitchell
, named as the SEC Coach of the Year in 2010 after leading the 2009–10 team
to a surprising 28–8 season in which they set school records for best start, most consecutive SEC wins, best SEC finish, and most wins in a season, culminating in their first NCAA regional final
since 1982
. The team also had the conference Player of the Year in Victoria Dunlap and Freshman of the Year in A'dia Mathies.
, which replaced Stoll Field in 1973.
Paul "Bear" Bryant Era
Paul "Bear" Bryant
was Kentucky's head football coach for eight seasons. Under Bryant the Wildcats won the 1947 Great Lakes Bowl
, lost the 1950 Orange Bowl, won the 1951 Sugar Bowl
and the 1952 Cotton Bowl Classic. In final AP polls, the Wildcats were ranked #11 in 1949, #7 in 1950, #15 in 1951, #20 in 1952 and #16 in 1953. At the time of the win over #1 Oklahoma, the final polls were taken before the bowl games. The NCAA recognizes Kentucky as its football national champion for the 1950 season by virtue of Jeff Sagarin's computations.
Fran Curci Era
The 1976 Wildcats retroactively claimed a share of the Southeastern Conference
championship under coach Fran Curci
via a loss later forfeited by Mississippi State (and despite losing at home to conference champion Georgia) and won the Peach Bowl, finishing #18 in the final AP poll. The 1977 Kentucky team went 10–1 and was undefeated in SEC play but, despite finishing the season ranked #6 in the AP poll, did not play in a bowl game due to NCAA sanctions. Kentucky finished at #6 and Penn State at #5 despite the fact that Kentucky defeated Penn State at Penn State during the regular season.
Jerry Claiborne Era
Coach Jerry Claiborne
led the Wildcats to the 1983 Hall of Fame Bowl. In 1984 Kentucky returned to the Hall of Fame Bowl and defeated a ranked Wisconsin team to finish the season with a 9–3 record and a #19 ranking in the final AP poll.
Bill Curry Era
The Wildcats played in the 1993 Peach Bowl under coach Bill Curry
.
Hal Mumme Era
Coach Hal Mumme
led the Wildcats to the 1998 Outback Bowl
and the 1999 Music City Bowl
but the program was hit with severe sanctions for infractions during Mumme's tenure.
Guy Morriss Era
Under coach Guy Morriss
the Wildcats posted a 7–5 record in 2002 but were not eligible for postseason play due to NCAA sanctions.
Rich Brooks Era
Coach Rich Brooks
led the team to an 8–5 regular season record in 2006, including a memorable upset over the defending SEC champion Georgia, snapping a nine-game losing streak to the Bulldogs. Brooks also led the football team to its first bowl game since 1999 and its first bowl game victory since 1984, as Kentucky defeated the Clemson University Tigers
28–20 in the Music City Bowl. http://www.dicksonherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061229/SPORTS06/61229025 On September 15, 2007. Brooks led UK to a 40–34 win over #9 Louisville
. This marked UK's first win over a top 10 team since #4 Penn State in 1977. The Wildcats were ranked 8th in the nation before a loss to South Carolina on October 4th. After the loss to South Carolina, Kentucky bounced back on October 13 to defeat #1 LSU in an historic triple overtime game.
The 2007 Kentucky Wildcats football defeated the Florida State Seminoles
35–28 in the 2007 Music City Bowl
in Nashville, Tennessee, on December 31, 2007. It was the Wildcats second straight bowl appearance. Quarterback Andre' Woodson was named the Music City Bowl MVP for the second year in a row. The last three bowl appearances for the Cats have been in the Music City Bowl, which they have appeared in more than any other SEC team in the conference's affiliation with the game, which dates back to the inaugural game in 1998.
On January 2, 2009 Kentucky football set a record with the schools first back to back to back bowl games. After a bad start in the Liberty Bowl Kentucky made a comeback from a 16–3 deficit at halftime to beat East Carolina 25–19. After a fumble by the East Carolina running back, UK Defensive Tackle Ventrell Jenkins returned the ball over 50 yards for the score that gave Kentucky their first lead of the game.
Joker Phillips Era
Former Wildcat wide receiver
and long time assistant coach Joker Phillips
was formally named head coach January 6, 2010 after Brooks' retirement. http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/80804502.html Phillips took Kentucky to the BBVA Compass Bowl in Birmingham, Alabama in his first season as a head coach, losing to Big East Conference co-champion Pittsburgh 27-10.
as head coach. Cohen was able to lead the Cats to a winning overall season in 2005, despite another SEC cellar finish. In 2008, Cohen left Kentucky to accept the coaching position at Mississippi State University
. The current Wildcats coach is former Kentucky assistant Gary Henderson
.
Few could have expected the Cinderella
season the Cats would have in 2006. They literally went from worst to first in the SEC, winning a regular-season conference title for the first time in three decades, and being ranked as high as fourth in the country by one major baseball poll during the season. However, the newly energized Kentucky baseball faithful saw the Cats crash out of the SEC tournament early and fail to make it out of the regionals of the NCAA tournament at home
.
There were high hopes for the 2007 team and for the most part they delivered. After going undefeated at 19–0 they eventually fell against Arkansas
They then fell into a tailspin but rebounded at the end of the year to just miss the SEC playoffs after a Tennessee Volunteers
win. They finished with a 37–19 record. Jason Kipnis
, who was an outfielder for that team, is now a second baseman for the Cleveland Indians
.
The Kentucky club baseball team achieved success in 2008 by winning the National Club Baseball Association
Division 2 World Series with a walk off single against Illinois
.
Championship 18 times, more than any other school. They are the only school to win more than two consecutive championships, having won each year from 1995 through 2002 and from 2004 through 2006, and are the only school to win consecutive championships on multiple occasions, having done so four times (1987–1988, 1995–2002, 2004–2006, and 2008–2010). They have won championships in 1985, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2010 have also placed second four times, and have finished in the top ten every year since the existence of the UCA National College Championships http://www.ukathletics.com/trads/cheer.html. The squad has been featured on the "CBS Evening News
", Connie Chung
's "Eye to Eye", and the "CBS Morning Show", NBC's The Today Show, in "Southern Living" and Gentlemen's Quarterly, "ESPN the Magazine", and "Seventeen
" magazines.
A reality show on WE: Women's Entertainment
called "Cheerleader U." followed the team during the 2006–2007 season.
their home course.
Notable alumni of the golf team include 1967 Masters
winner Gay Brewer
and current PGA Tour
golfers J. B. Holmes
and Steve Flesch
.
. The "coolcats" play their home games at the Lexington Ice Center. Traditionally the team ranks as the 3rd most popular spectator sport behind Football and Basketball. The hockey program is funded by private funds outside of the athletic department. In 1998 the cats released their first poster featuring actress and UK alum Ashley Judd
. Since the debut of the first poster, the cats have issued an annual poster featuring a celebrity with ties to the bluegrass. The program has achieved great success including 3 national tournament appearances, 1992 national runner-up, and 18 winning seasons.
Recently, the Cool Cats simply became the Wildcats. The Wildcats have made a couple good runs the past couple of seasons. This included a regional bid in the 06-07and lost in the final game of the tournament. in the 2007–08 season the cats finished in the national tournament failing to make it out of pool play. All home games are played at the Lexington Ice Center at midnight and the arena is generally full. Still a major sport on UK's campus.
College athletics
College athletics refers primarily to sports and athletic competition organized and funded by institutions of tertiary education . In the United States, college athletics is a two-tiered system. The first tier includes the sports that are sanctioned by one of the collegiate sport governing bodies...
squads 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...
(UK), a founding member of the 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...
. Historically, the women's teams and athletes were referred to as the "Lady Kats", but all athletic squads adopted the "Wildcats" nickname in 1995.
Collectively, the fans of the Kentucky Wildcats are often referred to as the Big Blue Nation
Big Blue Nation
The Big Blue Nation is a term, incorporating the trendy "nation" metaphor for American sports fans, used to describe the fan base of University of Kentucky athletics programs, particularly the men's basketball team...
.
Background
The nickname "Wildcats" became synonymous with UK shortly after a 6–2 football road victory over Illinois on October 9, 1909. Commandant Philip W. Corbusier, then head of the military department at old State University, told a group of students in a chapel service following the game that the Kentucky football team had "fought like Wildcats." Later the name Wildcats became more and more popular among UK followers as well as with members of the media. As a result, the nickname was adopted by the University.The university adopted blue and white as its official colors in 1892. Originally, however, UK students had decided on blue and light yellow prior to the Kentucky-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...
football game on December 19, 1887. The shade of blue, which is close to a royal blue, was chosen when a student asked the question, "What color blue?" At the time, Richard C. Stoll (who lettered in football at UK in 1889–94) pulled off his necktie and held it up. The students then adopted that particular shade of blue. A year later, UK students officially dropped the light yellow color for white.
Squads
Teams officially sponsored by the UK athletic program include footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
, men's & women's basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, women's volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, men's & women's cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, men's & women's swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
& diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
, women's gymnastics
Artistic gymnastics
Artistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics where gymnasts perform short routines on different apparatus, with less time for vaulting . The sport is governed by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique , which designs the Code of Points and regulates all aspects of international elite...
, men's & women's soccer, men's & women's track & field (indoor & outdoor), men's & women's golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, men's & women's tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, and the coeducational sport of rifle
Shooting sports
A shooting sport is a competitive sport involving tests of proficiency using various types of guns such as firearms and airguns . Hunting is also a shooting sport, and indeed shooting live pigeons was an Olympic event...
. UK also has a men's hockey team that competes at club level, which means that it is student-operated without university assistance, and they compete in the American Collegiate Hockey Association
American Collegiate Hockey Association
The American Collegiate Hockey Association is the national governing body of non-varsity college ice hockey in the U.S. The organization provides structure, regulations, promotes the quality of play, sponsors National Awards and National Tournaments....
's Division II level.
UK has won nine national championships with its latest being crowned in 2011 by rifle. UK also boasts the 1988 Women's Cross County national championship and seven other men's basketball titles, with its latest being crowned in 1998. UK was also crowned an NCAA co-champion, after knocking off #1 Oklahoma in the 1951 Sugar Bowl to win the 1950 National Championship in college football.
Basketball
Beginning in the 1890s, students at the University of Kentucky started scheduling footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
games with neighboring colleges. The basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
program began on campus in 1902, originally as a women's sport; a men's team was added one year later. Several decades later, in 1930, then-high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
coach 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...
was hired as a basketball coach for the university, a career that would span over 40 years until 1972. During his tenure, he led the Kentucky Wildcats to four NCAA crowns in 1948, 1949, 1951 and 1958. The Wildcats later won a fifth championship under Joe B. Hall
Joe B. Hall
-See also:*Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball*NCAA Men's Division I Final Four appearances by coaches- External links :* at unofficial Fan Site* * *...
in 1978, another in 1996 under 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...
and its latest under Orlando "Tubby" Smith in 1998. Currenty, John Calipari is the men's basketball coach for the Kentucky Wildcats. Calipari has been the coach since the 2009-2010 season.
Joe Craft Center
The Joe Craft Center, opened in January 2007, is a basketball practice facility and athletics office building attached to Memorial Coliseum on the "Avenue of Champions" at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky...
, a $30 million state-of-the-art basketball practice facility for both the men's and women's teams.
Men's
Considered to be among the most elite NCAANational Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
basketball programs, 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...
men's basketball team is the winningest program in the history of college basketball. The team was the first ever Division I squad to reach 2,000 victories after defeating Drexel University
Drexel University
Drexel University is a private research university with the main campus located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a noted financier and philanthropist. Drexel offers 70 full-time undergraduate programs and accelerated degrees...
on December 21, 2009. Kentucky also leads all NCAA schools in all-time winning percentage (.760) with an all-time record of 2017–636–1.
The men's team has earned a total of seven NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
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...
s, second only to UCLA's eleven championships. UK's seven championships were won by four different coaches – Adolph Rupp in 1948, 1949, 1951 and 1958; Joe B. Hall in 1978; Rick Pitino in 1996; and Tubby Smith in 1998. Thus, the Wildcats have garnered four (4) NCAA basketball championships in the last fifty-two (52) seasons. Kentucky also won the 1933 Helms National Championship and two NIT Championships in 1946 and 1976. The program has garnered 44 SEC
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...
regular season titles. The 2009–2010 Kentucky Wildcats were deemed to be co-favorites with Kansas to win yet another NCAA championship; instead their unexpectedly poor play in the NCAA Elite Eight resulted in an upset loss to the West Virginia Mountaineers (West Virginia subsequently lost in the Final Four to eventual champion Duke University). John Wall was the star player for the Wildcats in his freshman year and went as the #1 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft to the Washington Wizards. He was the first Kentucky Wildcat Basketball player to go number 1. The Wildcats had 5 players enter the NBA draft that year, four of whom were freshman: PG John Wall(FR.), SG/PG Eric Bledsoe(FR.), PF Patrick Patterson(JR.), C DeMarcus Cousins(FR.), PF Daniel Orton (FR.). All 5 were drafted in the first round setting a NBA draft record for the most players from a single school to go in the first round.
Women's
The very first University of Kentucky women's basketball team was organized in 1902, competing for the first time on Feb. 21, 1903. However, in 1924, the University Senate passed a bill to abolish women’s basketball in part because "basketball had proven to be a strenuous sport for boys and therefore was too strenuous for girls." After a 50-year absence, women’s basketball finally reached varsity status in 1974. The team was given the nickname “Lady Kats” and was coached by Sue Feamster.Led by UK all-time leading scorer Valerie Still
Valerie Still
Valerie Still is a former United States professional women's basketball player with the Washington Mystics of the WNBA.During her four years at the University of Kentucky, she scored more points than any other basketball player, male or female, with 2,763 points. Afterwards she went abroad, playing...
, Patty Jo Hedges, and Lea Wise, the Lady Kats won the SEC Tournament in 1982
1982 SEC Women's Basketball Tournament
The 1982 SEC Women's Basketball Tournament took place from February 25th through 28th, 1982 in Lexington, Kentucky.Kentucky won the tournament by beating Tennessee in the championship game.-Tournament:Asterisk denotes game ended in overtime....
. The following year, the same trio led the team to a #4 ranking in the country, the highest in the team's history.
The team is currently coached by Matthew Mitchell
Matthew Mitchell
Matthew LaMont Mitchell is the current head coach for the University of Kentucky Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball team, also known as "UK Hoops".-Coaching:...
, named as the SEC Coach of the Year in 2010 after leading the 2009–10 team
2009–10 Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball team
The 2009–10 Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball team represented the University of Kentucky in the 2009–10 NCAA Division I women's basketball season...
to a surprising 28–8 season in which they set school records for best start, most consecutive SEC wins, best SEC finish, and most wins in a season, culminating in their first NCAA regional final
2010 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2010 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament started Saturday, March 20, 2010 and was completed on Tuesday, April 6 of the same year with University of Connecticut Huskies defending their title from the previous year by defeating Stanford, 53-47. The tournament bids were announced on...
since 1982
1982 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1982 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament was the first NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament ever held. It featured 32 teams. Tennessee, Louisiana Tech, Cheyney, and Maryland met in the Final Four, held at the Norfolk Scope in Norfolk, Virginia and hosted by Old Dominion University,...
. The team also had the conference Player of the Year in Victoria Dunlap and Freshman of the Year in A'dia Mathies.
Football
Kentucky plays at Commonwealth StadiumCommonwealth Stadium (Kentucky)
Commonwealth Stadium is the name of a stadium in Lexington, Kentucky, USA. This stadium, named for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is located on the campus of the University of Kentucky and is the home field for the school's football team, replacing the smaller Stoll Field/McLean Stadium. The field...
, which replaced Stoll Field in 1973.
Paul "Bear" Bryant Era
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...
was Kentucky's head football coach for eight seasons. Under Bryant the Wildcats won the 1947 Great Lakes Bowl
Great Lakes Bowl
The Great Lakes Bowl was a college football bowl game that was played only once, on December 6, 1947 in Cleveland, Ohio between the University of Kentucky and Villanova University....
, lost the 1950 Orange Bowl, won the 1951 Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
and the 1952 Cotton Bowl Classic. In final AP polls, the Wildcats were ranked #11 in 1949, #7 in 1950, #15 in 1951, #20 in 1952 and #16 in 1953. At the time of the win over #1 Oklahoma, the final polls were taken before the bowl games. The NCAA recognizes Kentucky as its football national champion for the 1950 season by virtue of Jeff Sagarin's computations.
Fran Curci Era
The 1976 Wildcats retroactively claimed a share of the 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...
championship under coach 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...
via a loss later forfeited by Mississippi State (and despite losing at home to conference champion Georgia) and won the Peach Bowl, finishing #18 in the final AP poll. The 1977 Kentucky team went 10–1 and was undefeated in SEC play but, despite finishing the season ranked #6 in the AP poll, did not play in a bowl game due to NCAA sanctions. Kentucky finished at #6 and Penn State at #5 despite the fact that Kentucky defeated Penn State at Penn State during the regular season.
Jerry Claiborne Era
Coach Jerry Claiborne
Jerry Claiborne
Jerry Claiborne was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Virginia Tech , the University of Maryland, College Park , and his alma mater, the University of Kentucky , compiling a career college football record of 179–122–8...
led the Wildcats to the 1983 Hall of Fame Bowl. In 1984 Kentucky returned to the Hall of Fame Bowl and defeated a ranked Wisconsin team to finish the season with a 9–3 record and a #19 ranking in the final AP poll.
Bill Curry Era
The Wildcats played in the 1993 Peach Bowl under coach Bill Curry
Bill Curry
William Alexander "Bill" Curry is an American football coach and former player. He is the current head coach at Georgia State University, which began competing in college football in 2010...
.
Hal Mumme Era
Coach Hal Mumme
Hal Mumme
Hal Clay Mumme is an American college football coach. He is currently the head coach at McMurry University.- Playing career :...
led the Wildcats to the 1998 Outback Bowl
Outback Bowl
The Outback Bowl is an annual New Year's Day college football bowl game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The event was originally called the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1994 until being renamed in 1995 for its new title sponsor, Outback Steakhouse...
and the 1999 Music City Bowl
Music City Bowl
The Music City Bowl is a post-season American college football bowl game certified by the NCAA that has been played in Nashville, Tennessee, since 1998.-Site:The first Music City Bowl was played at Vanderbilt Stadium in 1998...
but the program was hit with severe sanctions for infractions during Mumme's tenure.
Guy Morriss Era
Under coach Guy Morriss
Guy Morriss
Guy W. Morriss is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at Texas A&M University–Commerce, a position he has held since the 2009 season. Morriss served as the head football coach at the University of Kentucky for two seasons and at Baylor...
the Wildcats posted a 7–5 record in 2002 but were not eligible for postseason play due to NCAA sanctions.
Rich Brooks Era
Coach 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...
led the team to an 8–5 regular season record in 2006, including a memorable upset over the defending SEC champion Georgia, snapping a nine-game losing streak to the Bulldogs. Brooks also led the football team to its first bowl game since 1999 and its first bowl game victory since 1984, as Kentucky defeated the Clemson University Tigers
Clemson Tigers
The Clemson Tigers are any team that represents Clemson University as a member of the NCAA's Division I or in the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference....
28–20 in the Music City Bowl. http://www.dicksonherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061229/SPORTS06/61229025 On September 15, 2007. Brooks led UK to a 40–34 win over #9 Louisville
2007 Louisville Cardinals football team
The 2007 Louisville Cardinals football team represented the University of Louisville in the 2007 college football season. The team, led by Steve Kragthorpe in his first year at the school, played their home games in Papa John's Cardinal Stadium and were in their third year in the Big East...
. This marked UK's first win over a top 10 team since #4 Penn State in 1977. The Wildcats were ranked 8th in the nation before a loss to South Carolina on October 4th. After the loss to South Carolina, Kentucky bounced back on October 13 to defeat #1 LSU in an historic triple overtime game.
The 2007 Kentucky Wildcats football defeated the Florida State Seminoles
Florida State Seminoles
The Florida State Seminoles are the men's and women's sports teams of Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. Florida State participates in the NCAA's Division I . FSU joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1991, and competes in the Atlantic Division in any sports split into a...
35–28 in the 2007 Music City Bowl
Music City Bowl
The Music City Bowl is a post-season American college football bowl game certified by the NCAA that has been played in Nashville, Tennessee, since 1998.-Site:The first Music City Bowl was played at Vanderbilt Stadium in 1998...
in Nashville, Tennessee, on December 31, 2007. It was the Wildcats second straight bowl appearance. Quarterback Andre' Woodson was named the Music City Bowl MVP for the second year in a row. The last three bowl appearances for the Cats have been in the Music City Bowl, which they have appeared in more than any other SEC team in the conference's affiliation with the game, which dates back to the inaugural game in 1998.
On January 2, 2009 Kentucky football set a record with the schools first back to back to back bowl games. After a bad start in the Liberty Bowl Kentucky made a comeback from a 16–3 deficit at halftime to beat East Carolina 25–19. After a fumble by the East Carolina running back, UK Defensive Tackle Ventrell Jenkins returned the ball over 50 yards for the score that gave Kentucky their first lead of the game.
Joker Phillips Era
Former Wildcat wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
and long time assistant coach Joker Phillips
Joker Phillips
-External links:*...
was formally named head coach January 6, 2010 after Brooks' retirement. http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/80804502.html Phillips took Kentucky to the BBVA Compass Bowl in Birmingham, Alabama in his first season as a head coach, losing to Big East Conference co-champion Pittsburgh 27-10.
Baseball
The baseball program, partly hampered by being the northernmost school in the heavily warm-weather SEC, has historically achieved only modest success at best. Wildcats baseball hit bottom at the turn of the 21st century, with only one winning season from 1997 through 2004, and last-place finishes in the SEC East division in every season from 2001 through 2005. In 2003, after the retirement of longtime coach Keith Madison, Kentucky hired Florida assistant John CohenJohn Cohen (baseball coach)
-External links:*...
as head coach. Cohen was able to lead the Cats to a winning overall season in 2005, despite another SEC cellar finish. In 2008, Cohen left Kentucky to accept the coaching position at Mississippi State University
Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball
The Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team represents Mississippi State University in NCAA Division I college baseball. The team participates in the West division of the Southeastern Conference. They are currently coached by head coach John Cohen. They play home games in Dudy Noble Field,...
. The current Wildcats coach is former Kentucky assistant Gary Henderson
Gary Henderson
-Playing career:Henderson pitched one year at Linfield College before transferring to San Diego State University, compiling a 19-5 career record at the two schools.-Coaching career:...
.
Few could have expected the Cinderella
Cinderella (sports)
In American and Canadian sports, a Cinderella or "Cinderella Story" refers to a team or player who advances much further in a tournament or career than originally anticipated. Cinderellas tend to gain much media and fan attention as they move closer to the championship game at the end of the...
season the Cats would have in 2006. They literally went from worst to first in the SEC, winning a regular-season conference title for the first time in three decades, and being ranked as high as fourth in the country by one major baseball poll during the season. However, the newly energized Kentucky baseball faithful saw the Cats crash out of the SEC tournament early and fail to make it out of the regionals of the NCAA tournament at home
Cliff Hagan Stadium
Cliff Hagan Stadium is a baseball stadium in Lexington, Kentucky. It is the home field of the University of Kentucky Wildcats college baseball team. The stadium, which currently holds 3,000, opened in 1969 as part of the Bernie A...
.
There were high hopes for the 2007 team and for the most part they delivered. After going undefeated at 19–0 they eventually fell against Arkansas
Arkansas Razorbacks
The Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the names of college sports teams at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The term Arkansas Razorbacks properly applies to any of the sports teams at the university. The Razorbacks take their name from the feral pig of the same name...
They then fell into a tailspin but rebounded at the end of the year to just miss the SEC playoffs after a Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee Volunteers
The Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Volunteers are the National Collegiate Athletic Association college sports teams at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. Mike Hamilton is the most recent Men's Athletic Director, but resigned on June 7, 2011, and Joan Cronan is the current Women's...
win. They finished with a 37–19 record. Jason Kipnis
Jason Kipnis
Jason Michael Kipnis is an American baseball player who plays second base for the Cleveland Indians. He was called up from the minor leagues to the Indians on July 22, 2011....
, who was an outfielder for that team, is now a second baseman for the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
.
The Kentucky club baseball team achieved success in 2008 by winning the National Club Baseball Association
National Club Baseball Association
The National Club Baseball Association is the national body that governs club baseball at colleges and universities in the United States...
Division 2 World Series with a walk off single against Illinois
Illinois Fighting Illini
The Fighting Illini are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The University offers 10 men's and 11 women's varsity sports....
.
Cheerleading
The University of Kentucky cheerleaders have won the UCA (Division I-A) CheerleadingCheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
Championship 18 times, more than any other school. They are the only school to win more than two consecutive championships, having won each year from 1995 through 2002 and from 2004 through 2006, and are the only school to win consecutive championships on multiple occasions, having done so four times (1987–1988, 1995–2002, 2004–2006, and 2008–2010). They have won championships in 1985, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2010 have also placed second four times, and have finished in the top ten every year since the existence of the UCA National College Championships http://www.ukathletics.com/trads/cheer.html. The squad has been featured on the "CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News is the flagship nightly television news program of the American television network CBS. The network has broadcast this program since 1948, and has used the CBS Evening News title since 1963....
", Connie Chung
Connie Chung
Connie Chung, full name: Constance Yu-Hwa Chung Povich is an American journalist who has been an anchor and reporter for the U.S. television news networks NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, and MSNBC. Some of her more famous interview subjects include Claus von Bülow and U.S...
's "Eye to Eye", and the "CBS Morning Show", NBC's The Today Show, in "Southern Living" and Gentlemen's Quarterly, "ESPN the Magazine", and "Seventeen
Seventeen (magazine)
Seventeen is an American magazine for teenagers. It was first published in September 1944 by Walter Annenberg's Triangle Publications. News Corporation bought Triangle in 1988, and sold Seventeen to K-III Communications in 1991. Primedia sold the magazine to Hearst in 2003. It is still in the...
" magazines.
A reality show on WE: Women's Entertainment
WE: Women's Entertainment
WE tv is an American cable television channel that is marketed towards women. It features some original programming, such as non-fiction talk shows, as well as made-for-TV movies, older feature films, and reruns of TV shows, it also shows art and fashion documentaries and reality series....
called "Cheerleader U." followed the team during the 2006–2007 season.
Golf
The men's and women's golf teams call the University Club of KentuckyUniversity Club of Kentucky
The University Club of Kentucky, located in Lexington, KY, is a members-only club privately licensed by University of Kentucky. The course is the official home of the university's men’s and women’s golf teams and serves as the host site for all of UK’s tournaments.The current setup was designed by...
their home course.
Notable alumni of the golf team include 1967 Masters
The Masters Tournament
The Masters Tournament, also known as The Masters , is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, it is the first of the majors to be played each year...
winner Gay Brewer
Gay Brewer
Gay Robert Brewer, Jr. was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and won the 1967 Masters Tournament....
and current PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
golfers J. B. Holmes
J. B. Holmes
John Bradley "J.B." Holmes is an American professional golfer.-Early life:Holmes was born in Campbellsville, the seat of Taylor County, in central Kentucky. Holmes began to play on the varsity golf team at Taylor County High School in Campbellsville when he was in the third grade. He suffered a...
and Steve Flesch
Steve Flesch
Stephen J. Flesch is an American professional golfer, competing on the PGA Tour.Flesch was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and attended Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills, Kentucky. After graduation he played golf at the University of Kentucky and turned professional in 1990.Flesch finished in...
.
Hockey
The University of Kentucky Hockey Team (founded 1984) competes in the American Collegiate Hockey AssociationAmerican Collegiate Hockey Association
The American Collegiate Hockey Association is the national governing body of non-varsity college ice hockey in the U.S. The organization provides structure, regulations, promotes the quality of play, sponsors National Awards and National Tournaments....
. The "coolcats" play their home games at the Lexington Ice Center. Traditionally the team ranks as the 3rd most popular spectator sport behind Football and Basketball. The hockey program is funded by private funds outside of the athletic department. In 1998 the cats released their first poster featuring actress and UK alum Ashley Judd
Ashley Judd
Ashley Judd is an American television and film actress, who has played lead roles in films including Ruby in Paradise, Kiss the Girls, Double Jeopardy, Where the Heart Is and High Crimes...
. Since the debut of the first poster, the cats have issued an annual poster featuring a celebrity with ties to the bluegrass. The program has achieved great success including 3 national tournament appearances, 1992 national runner-up, and 18 winning seasons.
Recently, the Cool Cats simply became the Wildcats. The Wildcats have made a couple good runs the past couple of seasons. This included a regional bid in the 06-07and lost in the final game of the tournament. in the 2007–08 season the cats finished in the national tournament failing to make it out of pool play. All home games are played at the Lexington Ice Center at midnight and the arena is generally full. Still a major sport on UK's campus.
Mascots
The University of Kentucky has three official mascots:- Blue — A live bobcatBobcatThe bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
(note that in American EnglishAmerican EnglishAmerican English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....
, "wildcat" generally refers to this particular mammal). He lives at the state-operated Salato Wildlife Education Center near the state capital of FrankfortFrankfort, KentuckyFrankfort is a city in Kentucky that serves as the state capital and the county seat of Franklin County. The population was 27,741 at the 2000 census; by population it is the 5th smallest state capital in the United States...
. Unlike the school's two costumed mascots, he never attends games, because bobcats are very shy by nature and do not react well with large crowds. - The Wildcat — A costumed student, he made his debut in the 1976–77 school year.
- Scratch — A later addition, he is a more child-friendly version of The Wildcat.
All-time records by sport
All records are through 2005–06.| Sport | First season |
Win | Loss | Tie | Win Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball College baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily... |
1896 | 1468 | 1315 | 22 | .523 |
| Basketball College basketball College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III.... (men) |
1903–04 | 2023 | 638 | 1 | .763 |
| Basketball College basketball College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III.... (women) |
1974–75 | 509 | 384 | .570 | |
| Football College football College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities... |
1881 | 558 | 547 | 44 | .505 |
| Gymnastics Gymnastics Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body... |
1981 | 212 | 386 | 2 | .353 |
| Soccer College soccer College soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes... (men) |
1991 | 174 | 120 | 32 | .534 |
| Soccer College soccer College soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes... (women) |
1992 | 167 | 114 | 25 | .546 |
| Softball College softball College softball is softball as played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education, predominantly in the United States. College softball is normally played by women at the intercollegiate level, whereas college baseball is normally played by men.As with other intercollegiate... |
1997 | 222 | 374 | 1 | .372 |
| Swimming Swimming (sport) Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native... and Diving (men) |
1936 | 337 | 272 | 1 | .552 |
| Swimming Swimming (sport) Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native... and Diving (women) |
1983–84 | 148 | 86 | .632 | |
| Tennis Tennis Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all... (men) |
1916 | 974 | 564 | 8 | .630 |
| Tennis Tennis Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all... (women) |
1974 | 516 | 300 | .632 | |
| Volleyball Volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive... |
1977 | 602 | 414 | 1 | .592 |
General interest
- Big Blue NationBig Blue NationThe Big Blue Nation is a term, incorporating the trendy "nation" metaphor for American sports fans, used to describe the fan base of University of Kentucky athletics programs, particularly the men's basketball team...
- Kentucky FightKentucky FightKentucky Fight is a fight song at the University of Kentucky. It is a fairly traditional-sounding march, and the lyrics are almost never sung. The song has three verses: one is generic, one is for football, and one is for basketball.-External links:*...
- Bill KeightleyBill KeightleyWilliam Bond Keightley was the equipment manager for the University of Kentucky men's basketball team, a position he held for 48 years. Known affectionately to most as "Mr. Wildcat," players referred to him as "Mr...
- Cawood LedfordCawood LedfordCawood Ledford was a longtime radio play-by-play announcer for the University of Kentucky basketball and football teams...
- C. M. NewtonC. M. NewtonCharles Martin "C. M." Newton is a retired American basketball player, coach and administrator. He was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a Contributor on October 13, 2000....
- Pat RileyPat RileyPatrick 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...
- On, On, U of KOn, On, U of KOn, On, U of K is a fight song at the University of Kentucky. Although it is primarily associated with the more successful basketball program, the lyrics are actually specific to football...
Football
- Rich BrooksRich BrooksRich 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...
- Paul "Bear" Bryant
- Keenan BurtonKeenan Burton-St. Louis Rams:Burton would be selected 128th overall in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams. He signed a three-year, $1.459 million contract with the Rams on July 4, 2008. The deal included a $309,000 signing bonus...
- Jerry ClaiborneJerry ClaiborneJerry Claiborne was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Virginia Tech , the University of Maryland, College Park , and his alma mater, the University of Kentucky , compiling a career college football record of 179–122–8...
- Commonwealth StadiumCommonwealth Stadium (Kentucky)Commonwealth Stadium is the name of a stadium in Lexington, Kentucky, USA. This stadium, named for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is located on the campus of the University of Kentucky and is the home field for the school's football team, replacing the smaller Stoll Field/McLean Stadium. The field...
- Tim CouchTim CouchTimothy Scott "Tim" Couch is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at the University of Kentucky...
- Mark HiggsMark HiggsMark Deyon Higgs is a former American football running back in the National Football League who led the Miami Dolphins in rushing from 1991-1993.-Youth and college career:...
- Duece Howerton
- Art StillArt StillArthur Barry Still is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League. He played for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills...
- Jeff Van NoteJeff Van NoteJeffrey Aloysius Van Note , is a former American football player who played his entire 18-year NFL career as a center for the Atlanta Falcons from 1969 to 1986.-NFL career:...
- Moe WilliamsMoe WilliamsMaurece Jabari "Moe" Williams is a former American football running back in the National Football League . He formerly played for the Minnesota Vikings and Baltimore Ravens...
- Jared LorenzenJared LorenzenJared Raymond Lorenzen is a former professional football quarterback, who is currently the commissioner of the Ultimate Indoor Football League. He most recently played for the Northern Kentucky River Monsters. He was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2004...
- André WoodsonAndré WoodsonAndre' 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...
- Wesley WoodyardWesley WoodyardWesley Woodyard is an American football linebacker for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He played collegiately for the University of Kentucky, where he helped lead the team to a victory in Music City Bowl over Clemson in 2006.-High school career:Woodyard was born in LaGrange,...
- Craig YeastCraig YeastCraig Nelson Yeast was a Canadian Football League wide receiver and kick returner for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Previously, he played in the National Football League from 1999 through 2001...
Basketball
- Joe Craft CenterJoe Craft CenterThe Joe Craft Center, opened in January 2007, is a basketball practice facility and athletics office building attached to Memorial Coliseum on the "Avenue of Champions" at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky...
- Memorial Coliseum
- Rupp ArenaRupp ArenaRupp Arena is an arena located in downtown Lexington, Kentucky, U.S. Since its opening in 1976, it has been the centerpiece of Lexington Center, a convention and shopping facility owned by an arm of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, and serves as home court to the University of...
Men's
- John CalipariJohn CalipariJohn Calipari is an American basketball coach. Since April 2009, he has been the men's head coach at the University of Kentucky....
- DeMarcus CousinsDeMarcus CousinsDeMarcus Cousins is an American professional basketball player with the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association. He played college basketball at the University of Kentucky.-High school career:...
- Billy GillispieBilly GillispieBilly Clyde Gillispie , also known by his initials BCG, is an American college basketball coach. Since 2011, he has been the current head coach of the men's basketball team at Texas Tech University...
- Joe B. HallJoe B. Hall-See also:*Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball*NCAA Men's Division I Final Four appearances by coaches- External links :* at unofficial Fan Site* * *...
- Rick PitinoRick PitinoRick 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...
- Adolph RuppAdolph RuppAdolph 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...
- Orlando "Tubby" Smith
- Eddie SuttonEddie SuttonEddie Sutton is an American former college head coach with 36 years of Division I basketball coaching experience at Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma State , and the University of San Francisco...
- John WallJohn Wall (basketball)Johnathan Hildred Wall, Jr. is an American basketball player with the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association. Wall was chosen first overall in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Wizards...
Women's
- Matthew MitchellMatthew MitchellMatthew LaMont Mitchell is the current head coach for the University of Kentucky Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball team, also known as "UK Hoops".-Coaching:...
- Valerie StillValerie StillValerie Still is a former United States professional women's basketball player with the Washington Mystics of the WNBA.During her four years at the University of Kentucky, she scored more points than any other basketball player, male or female, with 2,763 points. Afterwards she went abroad, playing...
- Mickie DeMossMickie DeMossMickie Faye DeMoss is an American college basketball coach and former player. She is the former women's head coach at the University of Florida and the University of Kentucky, and is currently an assistant coach at the University of Tennessee.-Early years:DeMoss was born in Delhi, Louisiana...
- Bernadette Locke-Mattox
- Victoria DunlapVictoria DunlapVictoria Dunlap is a basketball player who was selected by the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association in the first round of the 2011 WNBA Draft...
Baseball
- Cliff Hagan StadiumCliff Hagan StadiumCliff Hagan Stadium is a baseball stadium in Lexington, Kentucky. It is the home field of the University of Kentucky Wildcats college baseball team. The stadium, which currently holds 3,000, opened in 1969 as part of the Bernie A...
- Gary HendersonGary Henderson-Playing career:Henderson pitched one year at Linfield College before transferring to San Diego State University, compiling a 19-5 career record at the two schools.-Coaching career:...
- Brandon WebbBrandon WebbBrandon Tyler Webb is a Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the 2006 National League Cy Young Award winner.-High school:Webb attended Paul G...
- John CohenJohn Cohen (baseball coach)-External links:*...