SEC anounces10-game, conference-only schedule starting Sept. 26

Football season will start for UK receiver Josh Ali and his teammates on Sept. 26. (Vicky Graff Photo)

By GUY RAMSEY, UK Athletics

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Southeastern Conference announced Thursday an adjusted schedule for the 2020 football season. As a result, the start of the season has been delayed and Kentucky football will now play a 10-game schedule, all against SEC opponents, beginning on Sept. 26.

A revised schedule for the 2020 SEC football season will be announced at a later date. UK’s 10-game schedule will include one mid-season open date and an open date on Dec. 12. The SEC Football Championship Game will be played Dec. 19 at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, rescheduled from the original date of Dec. 5.  Read more... (709 words, 1 image, estimated 2:50 mins reading time)

No fall football at Centre College but coach Andy Frye hoping for “non-traditional” spring season

Andy Frye (Advocate-Messenger Photo)

By LARRY VAUGHT

While we await news on what the Southeastern Conference plans to do about football this year, we know that high school football in Kentucky still has a plan for playing this season.

However, there’s one coach who already knows his football team won’t be playing. Andy Frye is the long-time head coach of Division III Centre College in Danville and the Southern Athletic Association has already announced it won’t have fall sports. A number of other Division III conferences have done the same thing even as big-time conferences continue with plans to have fall sports.  Read more... (519 words, 1 image, estimated 2:05 mins reading time)

Corbin junior Treyveon Longmire has terrific ball skills but UK and others like him as defensive back

Treyveon Longmire with Mark Stoops and Vince Marrow.

By LARRY VAUGHT

He’s no longer coaching junior Treyveon Longmire but new Boyle County High School football coach Justin Haddix knows just how special the Corbin junior has been and is going to be in the years ahead.

“I love that kid,” said Haddix, Longmire’s coach at Corbin the previous two years. “He is a long, lean athlete. He has really good ball skills. He is 6-2, 175 and is going to run a 4.5 (second 40-yard dash) every time you time him. And the best thing about him might be how competitive he is.”  Read more... (331 words, 1 image, estimated 1:19 mins reading time)

ACC wants UK-Louisville game but SEC may not

Quarterback Lynn Bowden (1) with UK offensive line coach John Schlarman and his linemen after UK’s record-setting rushing performance against Louisville in 2019’s win by the Cats. (UK Athletics Photo)

By LARRY VAUGHT

Knowing that Kentucky returns almost all of its started off last year’s Belk Bowl team that won eight games, Louisville obviously still wants to play the Wildcats to end the season — or what was supposed to be the end of the season.  Read more... (228 words, 1 image, estimated 55 secs reading time)

Student-athlete participation increased for third straight year in Kentucky with football (boys) and volleyball (girls) topping the list

Football again had more athletes participating than any sport in Kentucky during the 2019-20 high school sports year.  (Advocate-Messenger Photo)

By JOE ANGOLIA, KHSAA

Student-athlete participation increased for the third-straight year in Kentucky High School Athletic Association sports and sport-activities to reach record levels in 2019-20.

A total of 107,166 rostered participants competed across the KHSAA’s 13 sports and six sport-activities according to information submitted by the membership, surpassing last year’s then-record total of 106,931. Football was one of 12 offerings to show an increase from the previous year, breaking a trend of declining participation for the last three years by adding 202 new student-athletes [freshmen, JV, varsity] during the 2019-20 season to remain the state’s most popular sport with 13,277 rostered participants.  Read more... (657 words, 1 image, estimated 2:38 mins reading time)

ESPN analyst Dick Vitale donates items for Nathan Floyd Benefit

ESPN analyst Dick Vitale donated an autographed basketball, hat and three books to help Nathan Floyd.

By LARRY VAUGHT

The Nathan Floyd Benefit Golf Scramble Friday at Old Bridge Golf Club in Danville is going to be an even better financial success than organizers Kelly and Monte Cress ever hoped.

“I really think we have a chance to raise $25,000 to help Nathan and his family,” said Monte Cress.  Read more... (378 words, 2 images, estimated 1:31 mins reading time)

Former UK sprinter Jim Green was racial pioneer, extraordinary athlete

Jim Green was honored by the city of Eminence Satuday. (Linda Sarrett Mathis Photo)

By LARRY VAUGHT

What a perfect time for the city of Eminence to honor former University of Kentucky track standout Jim Green.

What he did about 50 years was remarkable — and still very under appreciated by Kentuckians.

During my high school years, I thought the two best athletes I saw in person were 7-footer Tom Payne, the first African-American to play basketball at UK, and Green, a sensational sprinter.  Read more... (346 words, 1 image, estimated 1:23 mins reading time)

Western Kentucky coach Rick Stansbury doesn’t take it “personal” because UK won’t play Hilltoppers

Rick Stansbury (Bowling Green News Photo)

By LARRY VAUGHT

Having known Western Kentucky University basketball coach Rick Stansbury going back to his days as a college player, I know if you ask him a question, he’s going to answer. It was no surprise Tuesday didn’t back off when asked about trying to schedule a game with Kentucky only to have UK put Alabama-Birmingham and Marshall, both Conference USA teams, on the 2020-21 schedule and not the Hilltoppers.

Western figures to have a really good team this year with the return of dynamic point guard Tavern Hollingsworth and talented center Charles Bassey — along with other good players.  Read more... (453 words, 1 image, estimated 1:49 mins reading time)

Maybe you question EJ Montgomery’s NBA decision, but others show it’s a path that could work

Hamidou Diallo (Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)

By LARRY VAUGHT

I know most of us believe that EJ Montgomery would have been better off coming back to Kentucky for a junior season rather than putting his name into the NBA draft.

That feeling was only reinforced when word came out that Montgomery was not on the list of players who might get an invite to the NBA combine.

However, before you write off Montgomery’s potential professional career, think back to three recent players many also felt made a mistake leaving UK when they did and have found a way to get their foot in the NBA door.  Read more... (449 words, 1 image, estimated 1:48 mins reading time)

KHSAA believes in relationships between athletes, coaches, school personnel

Julian Tackett (Gary Moyers Photo)

By JOE ANGOLIA, KHSAA

The Board of Control conducted a virtual meeting Tuesday morning via Zoom, during which time it addressed the future of the 2020 fall sports season. With 17 members voting in favor (and one member abstaining), the Board approved a plan to leave fall sports in the fall and begin official fall practice on August 24th in Cross Country, Field Hockey, Soccer, Volleyball, and Football, with the first date of competition set for September 11th for Football and September 7th for the remaining fall sports.  Read more... (777 words, 1 image, estimated 3:06 mins reading time)