Is Kentucky Afraid Of Indiana?

The Indiana Hoosiers and the Kentucky Wildcats are one of the better rivalries in all of college sports when it comes to basketball, and thanks to the strange stance John Calipari has taken, the classic rivalry has seen its last days.

The basics: Indiana wants the rivalry kept alive and on campus both in Bloomington and Lexington, but Kentucky refuses and doesn’t want to talk about it anymore unless it is going to be played at neutral sites in Louisville and Indianapolis (proposed).

It’s ridiculous. At first Calipari made it an issue of going to Assembly Hall in Bloomington, and how he would rather not play unless it is at a neutral site. Tom Crean made it an issue about going to a neutral site stating that it would be more of a hassle to get students to Indianapolis and Louisville.

So, Indiana and Kentucky, both basketball-crazed states, would have a hard time getting fans and students to one of college basketball’s greatest rivalries?

I just laughed out loud.

Calipari won’t admit it, but, going to Assembly seems to be his issue. That’s fine because the game would have been at Kentucky this season. Crean has no issue with going to Lexington, as he has stated.

Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville would be the locations that both schools and the hosting cities would benefit from. So until these two schools reach a mutual agreement and quit making excuses, it is likely that this will remain case closed.

In my opinion, this whole thing sounds like a “you-problem”, Kentucky.

And quite honestly, it is Kentucky’s problem. How do you rationalize canceling such a great rivalry? What do you gain from not playing Indiana? Especially when Indiana has become what Indiana should be, a national championship contender. Does IU have cooties? Every other school plays their rivalries on campus—IU is willing to keep the game where it should be, on campus—so what makes the Wildcats so special that they have to play their big rival at a neutral site?

I’m almost certain that if Calipari told Crean we will only play you if you come to Lexington every season, Crean would agree. I can’t understand what Kentucky is so afraid of.

Oh, yes, Kentucky is afraid – let that be known right now.

Sure, they have more national titles than Indiana, but just because they have had more success doesn’t mean there isn’t a fear, or feeling like there is more loss than gain by playing this game. I think Calipari is afraid of getting beat and losing the head-to-head in the recruiting battle. Recruiting, by the way, is Crean’s greatest strength.

At first, I thought It was just two coaching egos clashing, but the fact that Crean is willing to go to Rupp, a much more hostile environment than a neutral site, just makes it clear to me that Calipari feels threatened that he may lose a lot more than just a game against Indiana.