Calipari may find giving up exhibition games too expensive for UK to make change next year
November 4th, 2009 | 
Author: By LARRY VAUGHT
Kentucky will play its second exhibition game Friday when it hosts Clarion University, John Calipari’s alma mater.
However, if Caliapri had his way, the Cats will spend their time scrimmaging a Division I opponent in private rather than playing an exhibition game in front of more than 20,000 fans.
“When I came in, the schedule was laid out. I’m trying to make it so we have more home games and we can use one of the exhibitions to scrimmage. You get a great team from somewhere around the country and you commit to scrimmaging,” said Calipari. “You go in there, close the doors and turn off the lights and you go at each other.
“I schedule up because that is where you learn what you are. It’s hard to learn against the other guys (in an exhibition game).”
As for the rest of future Kentucky schedules, Calipari has ideas there, too.
“I always try to throw a gauntlet at these guys to get them to understand how they are going to play. Throughout the year, I’ll try to schedule teams who play the Princeton offense. I’ll try to schedule teams who press and go crazy, play zone and who do things different,” the UK coach said. “They’ll change up defense, play box-and-one and triangle-and-two.
“We will have seen it all, go into the league, do our thing and get ready for the NCAA Tournament. When you play a team in the NCAA Tournament that played that way, we can say it is exactly what we faced. I want to get us everything that we can face so there are no surprises. So, then it will come down to ‘do you want it worse than the other guy?’”
Nothing wrong with any of that except adding two more home games and doing away with one or two exhibition games could be almost impossible. UK has to play eight SEC road games. It has home and away contracts with Indiana, Louisville and North Carolina. Kentucky has no other true road games this season because the other “away” games are the neutral site games in Cancun and New York.
And UK can’t financially afford to give up an exhibition game or two to host a scrimmage. The exhibition games are part of the season ticket package. That means the season-ticket holder paid the same for the Campbellsville game earlier this week as he or she did for a ticket to the game against defending national champion North Carolina Dec. 5.
No way UK will throw away as much as $200,000 it would lose by not having an exhibition game it could sell tickets to so Cal can have a private scrimmage and that’s why when the 2010-11 schedule comes out, look for more of the same as far as exhibition games.
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You won’t be seeing any visiting cheerleaders at Rupp Arena this year. Because of the increased media requests (press and photo), UK needs the space and will not let visiting teams bring cheerleaders. Considering the Rupp Arena crowd is 99.9 percent pro-UK, that’s really no big deal. But just thought you might want to know.
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18 Responses to “Calipari may find giving up exhibition games too expensive for UK to make change next year”
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Larry, why does the NCAA put limits on a scrimmage in a closed practice against another team? If UK wanted to scrimmage Eastern, Morehead, UC, whoever in a closed practice why shouldn’t that be allowed as long as they comply with the practice rules. The NCAA rule book is like the IRS Tax Code.
No cheerleaders? Is this Barnhart’s worst idea of 2009 or worst idea EVER?
They don’t want teams that can afford to travel to be scrimmaging all the time and also it is supposed to limit missed class time — what a joke based on playing the schedule teams do now.
that’s why the NCAA makes a team give up an exhibition game to have a scrimmage.
The tax code is crystal clear compared to the NCAA Rules and Practices. This is stupid.
Larry-I agree withyou as usual, They can’t give up the money. But I will say that Coach is so on target with wanting more games with differing styles of play,It seams like the ncaa wants to put better product on the floor but they are not willing to let some of these scimmages with local teams take hold has a regular occurance,maybe I’m wrong. But are’nt they talking also about reducing the overall schedules. What do you think?
I really wouldn’t mind seeing a few less november games and more practice time. Deep down, I think the coaches would like that, too. Of course, less games means less money, so I don’t see it happening.
Goes back to AbG’s tax code line
LARRY YOU ARE ONE OF US!!! Thank You from big blue NATION…GO BIG BLUE!!!
That’s a terrific compliment and one I am very proud to get. Thanks
While a secret practice would be good for developing the players, it would not be good for the fans or the UK pocketbook (as stated).
The fans (and players) need to “blow away” an opponent occasionally to build confidence and give us fans something to talk/ blog about for a week!
Amen. Plus, the exhibition games do normally let some fans get to see a game who will never get a ticket in December, January or February
I really don’t care which way they decide. Whichever way Cal thinks his team will benefit the most is perfectly fine with me. I don’t see 200k being a deciding factor if the coach says it is what his team needs. If Cal eventually gets the brutal early schedules that he wants to play, then he will need true tests right away, instead of these exhibitions. Being battle tested and ready early will lead to wins, which leads to more exposure in the media, which leads to better merchandise sales. Winning a National Championship would bring in a lot more than 200k to the university. And all of the above leads to getting the top level recruits, which keeps the cycle going. If other universities can make the closed scrimmages work, then I’m pretty sure UK can as well, if that’s what they decide.
GOOD Points winning will bring more $$$$. I recall RICK PATINO was really big on neutral site games early in season to “GET THE FEEL” It is hard to put a this is best label on any approach. But it is better to get the $$ when you Know you can during the preseason, They need to take all this into consideration, but thats why Mitch and Todd get the big money..LOL.. but the real problem here is the ever growing reach of the NCAA. Larry is’nt the NCAA wanting to reduce the schedule of all teams? THANKS
I thought I heard Campbellsville University cheerleaders on Monday night. I honestly can’t remember ever seeing opposing team’s cheerleaders at Rupp in the past, so is this really a change to not allow them in the future?
NCAA is talking shorter season, but will have to see it to believe. When is the last time the NCAA did anything logical, or that cut money to schools.
Jason, schools had the option to bring cheerleaders. Usually Louisville would or a few other close schools. No big deal, but just wanted to pass it on so all would know
A couple more home games, and where to get the options?? How about if Coach revives the old UKIT at Christmas as a possible exempt tournament, and then brings in better competition? Heck, can a team still have it’s own tournament and it be exempt? I know Louisville has a tournament to honor all the citizens this great country lost in a terrorist attack. Well, one citizen anyway!!!
Yes, a tacky comment, but it is for a tacky action.
Danny, I would love to see the UKIT again. It was a wonderful time and let so many different fans get a chance to watch the Cats. Still never quite understood why the tournament was dropped
Jim, one of the reasons other schools can afford to make the closed scrimmages work is probably because their exhibition games don’t draw the same kinds of crowds that Kentucky does. The lost revenue is not only from the season ticket package, but also from the single game ticket sales, which–as many here have noted–is an opportunity to see the team for many fans who can’t get into other games.
However, if the exhibition games could somehow be replaced with more home games/the UKIT, it seems like it would be a wash.
In the end, Cal and the UK administration will figure out the best solution for both the team and the fans. Cal was pretty vocal in the beginning about wanting Big Blue Madness to be just a scrimmage and not so much pomp and circumstance or him talking, but someone obviously convinced him of the importance of those things to the fanbase. (As if he couldn’t notice it himself on his travels from Pikeville to Paducah.)
Good observation Kilgore about Cal being flexible and willing to change his thinking. Same thing could happen here. Very good point about Vandy not losing revenue with a scrimmage. They can’t sell out all their regular games.