Seth Greenberg defends College Gameday's decision to skip Kentucky vs. Arkansas

Kentucky plays No. 8 Tennessee tonight in Knoxville — a matchup that got even tougher with last night’s news that Lamont Butler is out — but John Calipari’s return to Lexington looms on the horizon. Kentucky vs. Arkansas has been billed as one of the biggest games of the season from the moment Calipari left for Fayetteville in April and Mark Pope took over in Lexington. That’s why there were some raised eyebrows when ESPN decided to send College Gameday to Durham for North Carolina vs. Duke instead. Not only has the show gone to Duke 14 times before, but the Blue Devils and the Tar Heels play again this season in Chapel Hill, whereas Kentucky and Arkansas only play once.

Seth Greenberg is a member of the College Gameday panel. A close friend of John Calipari, Greenberg has stood up for Cal several times this season, going as far as to tell “real” Kentucky fans to “get lost” in the Wildcats’ success instead of focusing on Arkansas’ struggles. As you might imagine, the tweet and some of Greenberg’s previous comments rubbed a lot in Big Blue Nation the wrong way and prompted Matt Jones to call Greenberg and fellow College Gameday co-host Jay Williams out for telling Kentucky fans how to feel about Calipari.

During an appearance on the Bob Valvano Show today, Greenberg had quite a reaction when asked if he lobbied for College Gameday to go to Duke vs. North Carolina over Kentucky vs. Arkansas. It’s hard to tell from the clip, but it sounds like he even starts by saying “Matt Jones says the stupidest crap” before stopping himself and ranting about some of the backlash he’s received online (which is absolutely unacceptable and should be reported to the proper authorities).

“That’s the stupidest statement in the history of life yet there are some idiots — and I call them idiots, it’s the same ones sending me anti-semitic messages, the same ones that are telling me I should die — some idiots that live under rocks, alright?” Greenberg said.

“I don’t care if you’re the greatest Kentucky fan in the world. No. 1, those things, those decisions are made by programming. No. 2, Kentucky and Duke will outrate any game we could put on television. It’s all a business. No. 3, outside of the state of Kentucky and Arkansas, no one gives a blank about having to bring it back so people can boo John Calipari or cheer him or whatever.“

Even if No. 1 and No. 2 are true, No. 3 certainly feels like a stretch. A Hall of Fame coach facing off against his former school in his former town after a messy breakup is must-see TV. There’s a reason why it’s the 9 p.m. ET game on Saturday night. Greenberg continues by talking more about the “idiots” in Kentucky, his dear friends excluded.

“Like, here’s the deal: ignorance is undefeated. Stupid loses more than smart wins and there are a whole lot of stupid people — not a whole lot, I take that back. There are some incredible — I have some of my dearest friends who work at camps in Kentucky. My dearest friends in Louisville and Lexington. Great friends. That is by far — even you asking that question, that’s the stupidest. You know who makes those decisions. Programming makes those decisions.”

Even if the last sentence is true, I’m sure we’ll hear even more about this as Saturday approaches.

ESPN’s Seth Greenberg (@SethOnHoops) -It's foolish to think he has a say in where College GameDay sites are chosen.@espnVshow
Listen on the ESPN Louisville app 📱 pic.twitter.com/ab75ThK3l6

— ESPN Louisville (@ESPN680) January 28, 2025