The exchange between Kentucky’s most prominent coaches this week was a bit bizarre, but something to be proud of for the Cats.
Basketball coach John Calipari referred to Kentucky as a “basketball school” as he was pushing for better facilities. Football coach Mark Stoops wasn’t too pleased about that via a social media message that said, “Basketball school? I thought we competed in the SEC?”
The debate is more pertinent than anyone would have ever imagined just a few years ago thanks to Stoops’ success in the commonwealth. Kentucky has a very respectable football program to complement its championship-caliber basketball program.
However, Kentucky will never be a football-first school. At least one wouldn’t think so. However, there have been so many changes in college athletics that let’s not use “never” any longer.
Tennessee is close to having a strong beef as a basketball school. Although he hasn’t made The Final Four with the Vols, coach Rick Barnes has Tennessee knocking on the door each and every year. Surely, he’ll break through once, right?
Let’s say Barnes does win a national title in basketball for the Vols. Let’s say Tennessee’s football program is hovering around eight wins per season when that happens. Would that make Tennessee a basketball school? No.
Kentucky is the only team in the SEC that could be known as a basketball school first and a football school after that. It’s the SEC. Basketball matters, but football is king.
Tennessee is second in the SEC in all-time wins in football and basketball to Alabama and Kentucky, respectively. As good as the Vols have been at times in basketball, football will continue to drive decisions at every SEC athletic department, except for maybe one.
