LOUISVILLE, Ky. — To play or not to play? That is the question surrounding the vaunted men's basketball rivalry game between University of Louisville and University of Kentucky the past week. Tuesday evening, we may have gotten our answer.
UofL head coach Chris Mack said he wasn't sure if the game would happen this year. Mack cited that if the game were to happen in Louisville, it wouldn't be fair for the series if no fans were in attendance amid the coronavirus pandemic and then have the Cards play at Rupp Arena in 2021 for a packed house.
UK head coach John Calipari replied saying that there's so many unknowns with COVID-19 and the season that Kentucky is prepared to play at the Yum! Center this season. He hoped UofL did not want to end the series.
As of now, UofL is trying to find opponents to play for their non-conference slate. Kentucky has filled six of their seven non-conference opponents. Both schools have canceled non-conference neural site games with the Cards pulling out of the MGM Resorts Main Event in Las Vegas and the Cats canceling a trip to London to play Michigan.
Mack took to Twitter last night to express his thoughts of the possibility of the game and had some lighthearted fun at Calipari's expense.
"As for the UK series, here's the thing," said Mack. "I want to do what's most convenient for John [Calipari] and his program. You do believe that, right? That I do want to what's best for John?"
Coach Mack detailed supposed plans between the rivals remarking that the two schools agreed to play on Dec. 12. Mack said that UK backed out of the date due to conflicting travel issues with the team's now canceled trip to London.
Mack also highlighted that UK is now slated to play a neural site game against Notre Dame on that Dec. 12 date. He also cited that UK football had no issue moving the rivalry game in 2021 to Louisville since it was canceled this season.
"If you could do it football? Seems like you can do it in basketball?" Mack asked incredulously.
Mack ended the video saying that UofL did the same for the now canceled start of a series against University of Cincinnati. The old Conference USA, Big East and American Atheletic Conference rivals were to set to renew a series this season which has been moved to 2021.
"Listen, I don't want to stand in the way of college basketball's best rivalry," said Mack. "Whatever is most convenient for Coach Cal, we'll do it. See ya in the Yum! Center."
Coach Calipari had a simple rebuttal to Mack's video: "See you December 26th. Can't wait!"
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