LOUISVILLE, Ky. — If anyone thought for a second the rivalry between Kentucky’s top two college basketball programs had died down in the recent shuffle of head coaches, they’d be wrong.
A team photo is the latest spat between University of Kentucky and University of Louisville fans.
Despite other members of the media sharing unofficial photos of UofL’s 2024-2025 men’s basketball team this week, it was a photo shared by Matt McGavic, deputy editor for the Louisville Cardinals on Sports Illustrated, that caught the internet’s attention.
It certainly wasn’t the most flattering photo of the team, but it wasn’t the official photo, which UofL released on Wednesday.
Multiple players didn’t look prepared for the photo McGavic shared. Their uniforms were wrinkled, one wore the same number as another teammate, and the only person sporting a smile on their face was head coach Pat Kelsey.
“Every single guy in that picture looks like someone had just told them their dog had been kidnapped,” Kentucky Sports Radio host Matt Jones said during his podcast.
McGavic’s original post has since been deleted; however, it is the internet and they don’t call them Wildcats for nothing.
"I would retake this picture if I were Louisville. Maybe have everyone wear the same jersey, different numbers, not look like they are being held hostage…that would all be a decent start," Jones said reposting the picture.
Without batting an eye, University of Kentucky fans pounced on the opportunity to take a jab at their in-state rivals in the comments on Jones' post.
"Louisville fans will say their team is being slept on," one user said zooming in on a player who appears to have his eyes closed.
"When you get your basketball team from TEMU," one UK fan said.
"I would look depressed too if I played for Louisville," another X user said.
Louisville fans went on the defensive, some even attacking McGavic for sharing the photo.
"I get that the photo didn't look good but I don't see why it matters. It's basketball not a beauty pageant," a Louisville fan said.
The Louisville men's basketball team did post the official 2024-25 men's team photo a few hours later with the caption, "The actual 2024-25 Louisville Men's Basketball Team Photo."
The picture has better coloring, lighting and a basketball team who are all smiles.
"Love the shade thrown at our media people who constantly tweet out stuff about us without thinking about how it'll look. How did none of those media guys think, 'this picture sucks," before tweeting it yesterday and opening us up to embarrassment for no reason?" one reposted comment said.
"Totally agree. McGavic needs to stop lashing out at KSR and just own that he messed up," another user wrote under the post.
Notably in all this social media drama, McGavic did say he blocked KSR "because the bedrock for their entire platform is built on “rivalrying” and it’s exhausting."
He called it "the most therapeutic thing I’ve done on Twitter in a while."
Again, McGavic wasn’t the only sports journalist to share an unofficial photo before the official one was released.
WHAS11's own Mason Horodyski shared an unofficial photo of the team as well. However, his was a from a different angle and shows some team members smiling.
In responding to another user, McGavic admits he didn’t realize how bad the photo was.
“I was in a hurry to get to breakout sessions with the players after the photo was taken,” he explained.
The last thing McGavic posted about the most talked about photo in Kentucky was a repost from another Louisville sports journalist, reiterating that McGavic was simply doing his job and doesn't need to apologize foe people misinterpreting his original post.
Several media members posted some variation of the photo on Wednesday.
