The Kentucky Colonels were a member of the American Basketball Association (ABA) for all of the league's nine years. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky Colonels. The Colonels won the most games and had the highest winning percentage of any franchise in the league's history, but the team did not join the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the 1976 ABA–NBA merger. The downtown Louisville Convention Center was the Colonels' venue for their first three seasons before moving to Freedom Hall for the remaining seasons, beginning with the 1970–71 schedule.
CG Bank Field at Roy Kidd Stadium is Eastern Kentucky University's football stadium in Richmond, Kentucky. The stadium is home to the EKU Colonels football team, located on campus. Currently, CG Bank Field at Roy Kidd Stadium consists of upper and lower-level seating areas, with a predominant majority of the seats being metal bleachers. Reserved chairback seats can be found in the middle of the lower level, as well, the seats are generally purchased by season ticket holders and Eastern Alumni.
Roy Lee Kidd was an American collegiate football league player and coach. He served as the head coach at Eastern Kentucky University from 1964 to 2002, compiling a record of 314–124–8. Kidd's Eastern Kentucky Colonels won NCAA Division I-AA Football Championships in 1979 and 1982 and were runners-up in 1980 and 1981. His 314 career victories are second-most in NCAA Division I-AA/FCS history, trailing only those of Grambling State's Eddie Robinson. Kidd was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 2003.
The U.S. State of Kentucky is currently home to two professional soccer teams: Louisville City FC, which plays in the USL Championship, and Racing Louisville FC, which plays in the NWSL. Kentucky has had professional sports teams in its past, such as the Louisville Brecks/Colonels of the NFL in the early 1920s.
The Eastern Kentucky Colonels men's basketball team is a college basketball team at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), located in Richmond, Kentucky, United States. The Colonels are members of the ASUN Conference, which they joined in 2021 after having been members of the Ohio Valley Conference since that league's founding in 1948. Home games are played at Alumni Coliseum, located on EKU's campus. The team last played in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 2014. The Colonels are coached by A.W. Hamilton, who came to EKU in 2018 after previous head coach Dan McHale was fired after 3 seasons.
The Centre Colonels football team, historically also known as the Praying Colonels, represents Centre College in NCAA Division III competition. The Colonels currently play in the Southern Athletic Association (SAA), which was established in 2011. Before the establishment of the SAA, Centre played 50 seasons in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC). Despite the school's small size, the football team has historically had success and possesses a strong tradition. At the end of the 2008 season, the school ranked as the 12th winningest school in Division III with an all-time record of 509–374–37.
The Eastern Kentucky Colonels football program represents Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) in college football, competing at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level as a member of the United Athletic Conference (UAC). The school has traditionally had much success on the football field, having won 21 OVC conference titles and two Division I FCS National Championships in 1979 and 1982, and reaching the finals in 1980 and 1981. Much of the success came during the long tenure of head coach Roy Kidd from 1964 to 2002. In 1990, Eastern honored Kidd by naming the school's football stadium Roy Kidd Stadium. Eastern Kentucky's football team was able to secure 31 consecutive winning seasons before finally posting a losing season record in 2009.
The Eastern Kentucky Colonels are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), located in Richmond, Kentucky, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division I ranks, primarily competing in the ASUN Conference since the 2021–22 academic year. Its football team competes in the United Athletic Conference (UAC), which starts play in 2023 as a football-only merger of the ASUN and the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). The Colonels previously competed in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) from 1948–49 to 2020–21.
The 2009 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team represented Eastern Kentucky University in the 2009 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The team was led by Dean Hood, the 2008 Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Roy Kidd Coach of the Year. Hood was in his second season as head coach. The season marked the Colonels' 100th season of play. The Colonels played their home games at Roy Kidd Stadium in Richmond, Kentucky. The team finished the season with a record of 5–6 overall and 5–3 in OVC play.
Dean Scott Hood is an American former college football coach who currently works as the Director of Player Development at the University of Kentucky. He was the head football coach at Murray State University from 2020 to 2023 and at Eastern Kentucky University from 2008 to 2015. His inaugural 2008 season ended successfully as he led the Colonels to the 2008 Ohio Valley Conference football title.
The 2011 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team represented Eastern Kentucky University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Colonels were led by fourth-year head coach Dean Hood and played their home games at Roy Kidd Stadium. They were a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). Eastern Kentucky has an overall record 7–5 with a 6–2 mark in OVC play share the conference title with Jacksonville State and Tennessee Tech. They received an at–large bid in the FCS playoffs, where they lost in the first round to James Madison.
The Eastern Kentucky Colonels women's basketball team is a women's college basketball team at Eastern Kentucky University, located in Richmond, Kentucky. After having played women's basketball in the Ohio Valley Conference since it began sponsoring women's sports in 1977, EKU joined the Atlantic Sun Conference in July 2021. The 2024–25 season will mark EKU's fourth season as a member institution in the ASUN Conference. Home games are played at Baptist Health Arena, seating 6,500 fans for basketball contests.
The 1979 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team represented Eastern Kentucky University in the 1979 NCAA Division I-AA football season. They competed as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference and played their home games at Hanger Field in Richmond, Kentucky. Head coach Roy Kidd was in his 16th season leading the Colonels.
The 1980 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Eastern Kentucky Colonels and the Boise State Broncos. The game was played on December 20, 1980, at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento, California. The culminating game of the 1980 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Boise State, 31–29.
The 1979 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Eastern Kentucky Colonels and the Lehigh Engineers. The game was played on December 15, 1979, at Orlando Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The culminating game of the 1979 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Eastern Kentucky, 30–7.
The 2019 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team represented Eastern Kentucky University during the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fourth-year head coach Mark Elder and played their home games at Roy Kidd Stadium as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference. They finished the season 7–5, 5–3 in OVC play to finish in fourth place. Elder was fired following the season. He finished with a record of 21–24.
The 2020 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team represented Eastern Kentucky University during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by Walt Wells in his first season as the program's 15th head coach. The Colonels played their home games at Roy Kidd Stadium and competed as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference.
The 1982 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team was an American football team that represented Eastern Kentucky University as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) during the 1982 NCAA Division I-AA football season. In their 19th season under head coach Roy Kidd, the Colonels compiled a perfect 13–0 record and defeated Delaware in the 1982 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game.
The 2021 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team represented Eastern Kentucky University during the 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by Walt Wells in his second season. The Colonels played their home games at Roy Kidd Stadium and competed as a member of the ASUN Conference.
The 2022 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team represents Eastern Kentucky University as a member of the ASUN Conference during the 2022 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They are led by Walt Wells in his third season. The Colonels played their home games at Roy Kidd Stadium. On August 28, Wells had a cardiac episode. The following day, Garry McPeek was named the acting head coach.
