The Southeastern Conference, in its infinite wisdom, has finally pulled the trigger on a nine-game conference schedule. While fans celebrate the promise of more high-stakes SEC matchups, athletic departments across the league are scrambling to check the fine print on their future non-conference contracts. For the University of Kentucky, this new mandate isn't just a logistical headache; it's a million-dollar problem.
Here’s the rub: along with the nine SEC games, the conference is also mandating that every team play at least one opponent from a Power 4 conference each year. For Kentucky, that box is permanently checked by the annual Governor's Cup rivalry against Louisville.