Kentucky–Tennessee rivalry
| Sport | Football, basketball, others |
|---|---|
The Kentucky–Tennessee rivalry is a college
The football rivalry was once a trophy game known as the Battle for the Barrel, with the victors keeping a painted wooden
The rivalry is sometimes known as the 'Border Battle.[1][2][3]
Football
Men's basketball
Tennessee Volunteers | |
| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| First meeting | 1910 Kentucky 20, Tennessee 5 |
| Latest meeting | 2024 Tennessee 81, Kentucky 85 |
| Next meeting | TBD |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 238 |
| All-time series | Kentucky leads, 160–80 |
| Largest victory | Kentucky, 101–40 (1993) |
| Longest win streak | Kentucky, 20 (1950–1960) |
| Current win streak | Kentucky, 1 (2024-present) |
In contrast to the football series, Kentucky has generally dominated the basketball rivalry. The two teams first played in 1910.[4] For the first couple decades the series was often back and forth, and the rivalry became particularly heated in the 1930s and 1940s, when the Volunteers were coached by John Mauer. Mauer had previously been the coach of Kentucky until he was let go and replaced by Adolph Rupp, adding additional bitterness to the rivalry. Under Mauer, the Volunteers held their own against the ascendant Wildcats.[5] However, from 1945 to 1960, Kentucky won 31 out of 32 games, including a series-record 20 consecutive wins from 1950 to 1960. Overall, Kentucky and Tennessee have met for a total of 232 times and Kentucky has the winning advantage of 157–76.[6]
Arguably, the most famous game occurred during the historic 1965–66 season. Kentucky had defeated Tennessee 78–64, in Lexington, on February 26, 1966. Notably, Howard Bayne was unable to play for the Vols in that game due to an injured ankle. Kentucky had the next week off, while Tennessee won at Georgia Tech on February 28, 1966, 58–47. Kentucky came into the rematch ranked #1 in the country and was undefeated, at 23–0. Tennessee needed a win just to tie for 3rd in the SEC. On March 5, 1966, a standing room only crowd of over 7500 in the old UT Armory Fieldhouse (later that year expanded to over 12,000 and renamed Stokely Athletic Center) witnessed the upset of college basketball's regular season. The Vols led almost the entire way, winning 69–62. Two sport star Ron Widby, Red Robbins and Howard Bayne led Tennessee with a combined 52 points and 33 rebounds, while future NBA coaching legend, Pat Riley, led Kentucky with 22 points. Tennessee finished 20–8, while Kentucky went on to the NCAA Championship game, where they bowed to Texas Western (now UTEP), 72–65, at Maryland's Cole Fieldhouse, and finished 27–2. The historic championship game featured the all-black starting five of Texas Western against the all-white starting five of Kentucky.
Another particularly notable game was the 1972 match-up at Tennessee. Kentucky had won the previous game by two points, but
The rivalry has been among the biggest for both schools. Tennessee claims the most victories against Kentucky of any program in men's college basketball.[9]
Game results
The following table displays the complete list of game results. in the rivalry. Kentucky victories are shaded in blue, while Tennessee wins are shaded in orange.
| Kentucky victories | Tennessee victories | Tie games |
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Women's basketball
| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| First meeting | 1976 Tennessee 70, Kentucky 67 |
| Latest meeting | 2024 Tennessee 87, Kentucky 69 |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 76 |
| All-time series | Tennessee leads, 61–16 |
| Largest victory | Tennessee, 110–38 (2001) |
| Longest win streak | Tennessee, 34 (1987–2005) |
| Current win streak | Tennessee, 4 (2023-present) |
As one of the sports most dominant programs, the
| Kentucky victories | Tennessee victories |
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See also
- Most-played rivalries in NCAA Division I FBS
References
- ^ Anthony Wireman (November 6, 2021). "The Border Battle: Tennessee at Kentucky Hype Video". Nation of Blue.
- ^ Andrew Olson (November 8, 2019). "Kentucky drops hype video for 'Border Battle' with Tennessee". Saturdays Down South.
- ^ Les Dixon (April 10, 2019). "Several locals playing in inaugural Kentucky vs. Tennessee Border Battle". Sentinel-Echo.
- ISBN 1582613192.
- ISBN 0762737026.
- ^ "Men's Basketball History vs University of Kentucky from Feb 16, 1910 - Feb 20, 2021". UTSports.com. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
- ^ "Tonight in Knoxville: Vols Vs. 'Cats". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Associated Press. March 8, 1972. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
- ISBN 1582615691.
- ISBN 0345513924.