Mark Stoops on the future of the Governor's Cup: 'Shouldn't comment on that because I don't know'

Kentucky and Louisville have been playing games on the football field against one another since 1912. Upon its return to end last century, they’ve matched up in every season besides the pandemic one since 1994 in what is now the season finale with The Governor’s Cup.

However, due to scheduling within the Southeastern Conference, the Wildcats may soon be reconsidering the meeting with the Cardinals each season. As Mark Stoops put it on Monday at the Kickoff Luncheon from Churchill Downs, he doesn’t know what the future of the rivalry will look like until their league decides if their conference schedule is eight or nine games long.

“You know, I have no idea until we find out whether nine is in play or not,” said Stoops to KSR’s Nick Roush. “Shouldn’t comment on that because I don’t know, you know.”

Again, UK and UofL have played a total of 35 games including 29 over the last 30 years now. The all-time record between the two favors the Wildcats at an overall record of 20-15.

Since its return in 1994, Louisville actually holds the edge by a game at 15-14 with streaks in the early 2000s and 2010s. However, Kentucky has dominated it as of late with five consecutive wins since 2018 and with them having won six of the last seven meetings since 2016. The five straight victories have come by an average margin of 25.8 points. Three of those have also been upsets for unranked teams for big blue against Top-25 ones for the Cards, including the 38-31 road win for Kentucky over No. 10 Louisville in 2023.

Still, as college football changes, schedules and priorities for them are as well.

In Kentucky’s case, they’ll already be playing some of the best teams in the nation across eight conference games alone. For example, in this upcoming season, half of their opponents are ranked in the Preseason AP Top-15, including three in the Top-10, in Georgia, Texas, Ole Miss, and Tennessee. That doesn’t even include games against South Carolina, at Florida, or versus Auburn before that finale against Louisville.

Moving to a nine-game conference schedule while also keeping the Governor’s Cup would be a large undertaking for a program like Kentucky to take on year-in and year-out.

Nothing is certain with what could happen as far as slates in the future of the SEC. Only once something is will be when Stoops and the Wildcats are able to determine what it means for them and the future of the Governor’s Cup.

“I have no idea,” Stoops admitted.