Likely Replacement Opponent If Louisville Cancels Matchup

There are lots of rumors going around that Battle of the Bluegrass might not take place this year due to COVID concerns coming from Louisville's side. If this game does indeed get cancelled, Kentucky will be faced with the difficult task of finding an opponent on short notice for us to add to our non-conference schedule.

With all 7 of our home games in Rupp Arena so far this season being against smaller-named opponents, a rivalry game like this one will not easily be replaced.

A source within the program has told the Cats Coverage team that one of the teams we’ve reached out to as a potential replacement is Gonzaga. The Zags, currently ranked #5 in the country, and are down a non-conference game as well, as their scheduled contest against Washington was also cancelled due to COVID concerns.

Gonzaga has a game tomorrow, December 20th, against Northern Arizona, so coming to Rupp Arena on the 22nd would be a very quick turnaround. But following the contest against NAU, they will not have a game for 8 straight days, so this gap might be their best chance to finish up their non-conference schedule.

Their head coach, Mark Few, has also been very vocal about wanting to play Kentucky, publicly noting that the Cats have been on a short list of top teams not to play against them yet.

In the age of COVID, so much is unpredictable. Missing out on a chance to reclaim the Battle of the Bluegrass title, after dropping the contest to Louisville last year, would be a huge loss for our fans. But given the unprecedented times and short notice, pulling off a matchup of this caliber would be a more than serviceable and exciting replacement.