Governor's Cup (Kentucky)

See also: Kentucky–Louisville rivalry

Kentucky–Louisville football rivalry

Kentucky Wildcats Louisville Cardinals
Sport	Football
First meeting	October 26, 1912 Kentucky, 41–0
Latest meeting	November 30, 2024 Louisville, 41–14
Next meeting	November 29, 2025 at Louisville
Stadiums	Kentucky – Kroger Field Louisville – L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium
Trophy	The Governor's Cup
Statistics
Meetings total	36
All-time series	Kentucky leads, 19–16
Trophy series	Louisville leads, 16–13
Largest victory	Kentucky, 73–0 (1922)
Longest win streak	Kentucky, 7 (1912–1994)
Current win streak	Louisville, 1 (2024–present)

60km
37miles

Louisville

Kentucky

   

Locations of Kentucky and Louisville

The Governor's Cup is a trophy awarded to the victor of the annual college football game between the University of Kentucky (program started in 1881) and the University of Louisville (program started in 1912) in the commonwealth of Kentucky; it is also used as a reference to the rivalry itself. ^[1]

History

Although the two teams first met in 1912 – which was also Louisville's inaugural football season ^[1] – the teams met just six times before the rivalry was suspended after the 1924 season, and it would not be renewed for another 70 years. Despite Louisville's persistent efforts to revive the series, Kentucky showed little interest, according to The Courier-Journal. Kentucky agreed to resume the rivalry only on the condition that the first four games be played in Lexington – a stipulation UofL accepted.^{[ citation needed ]} The rivalry finally resumed in 1994 with a new Governor's Cup trophy which has been awarded every year since.

Kentucky leads the series 19–16. ^[1] Since the modern series started in 1994, Louisville leads 16–13. From 1994 to 2006, the game was played on the opening weekend of the college football season. In 2007, the game was moved to the third game of the season when played in Lexington but remained the first game when played in Louisville. Starting in 2014, which marked Louisville's inaugural season in the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Governor's Cup became the last game of the regular season for both teams on Thanksgiving weekend, ^[2] which coincided with several other ACC-SEC same-state rivalries. ^[3]

Because the Southeastern Conference, of which Kentucky is a member, decided to play a conference-only schedule for 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 edition of the Governor's Cup game was canceled. ^[4] The rivalry will continue until at least the 2030 season with Kentucky hosting in even years and Louisville hosting in odd years. ^[5]

In June 2025, long time Kentucky assistant coach and recruiter Vince Marrow was reported to be leaving the Wildcats to take the general manager position at Louisville in an off-field role. Marrow is considered to be one of the top recruiters in the country and was credited with landing 37 blue chip recruits in his time at Kentucky. The position is expected to include overseeing roster management, high school recruiting, and the transfer portal. The move had been rumored twice before, including in December 2024, but both times Marrow stayed with Kentucky. ^{[6] [7]}

Notable games

September 2, 2000: In the only overtime game in series history, Louisville outlasted Kentucky to win 40–34. A walk-off touchdown from running back Tony Stallings would seal the game for the Cardinals. ^[8]

November 26, 2016: Kentucky upset #11 Louisville in a shootout. Kentucky recovered a fumble by Heisman candidate Lamar Jackson with 1:45 to go in the game. Kentucky would kick a field goal to win the game 41–38. ^[9] Lamar Jackson would go on to the win the Heisman Trophy. ^[10]

November 25, 2023: Kentucky upset #10 Louisville. Louisville entered the game as 7.5 point favorite. This game extended Kentucky's win streak to 5 in a row and 6 of the last 7 meetings. The win was marked by three Louisville turnovers and a kick returned by Kentucky for a touchdown ^[11]

November 30, 2024: In the 30th game since the series renewal, Louisville dominated Kentucky in a 41–14 win at Kroger Field. The win snapped a 5-game losing streak, giving the Cards their first win in the rivalry since 2017. Louisville forced five turnovers with a fumble returned for a touchdown by Ramon Puryear effectively ending Kentucky's hopes at a comeback.

Game results

Kentucky victories

Louisville victories

Tie games

No. Date Location Score 1 October 26, 1912 Lexington, KY Kentucky 41–0 2 November 22, 1913 Louisville, KY Kentucky 20–0 3 November 14, 1914 Lexington, KY Kentucky 42–0 4 November 6, 1915 Louisville, KY Kentucky 15–0 5 October 14, 1922 Lexington, KY Kentucky 73–0 6 October 4, 1924 Lexington, KY Kentucky 29–0 7 September 3, 1994 Lexington, KY Kentucky 20–14 8 September 2, 1995 Lexington, KY Louisville 13–10 9 August 31, 1996 Lexington, KY Louisville 38–14 10 August 30, 1997 Lexington, KY Kentucky 38–24 11 September 5, 1998 Louisville, KY Kentucky 68–34 12 September 4, 1999 Lexington, KY Louisville 56–28 13 September 2, 2000 Louisville, KY Louisville 40–34 OT 14 September 1, 2001 Lexington, KY Louisville 36–10 15 September 1, 2002 Louisville, KY Kentucky 22–17 16 August 31, 2003 Lexington, KY Louisville 40–24 17 September 5, 2004 Louisville, KY Louisville 28–0 18 September 4, 2005 Lexington, KY #12 Louisville 31–24 19 September 3, 2006 Louisville, KY #13 Louisville 59–28 No. Date Location Score 20 September 15, 2007 Lexington, KY Kentucky 40–34 21 August 31, 2008 Louisville, KY Kentucky 27–2 22 September 19, 2009 Lexington, KY Kentucky 31–27 23 September 4, 2010 Louisville, KY Kentucky 23–16 24 September 17, 2011 Lexington, KY Louisville 24–17 25 September 2, 2012 Louisville, KY #25 Louisville 32–14 26 September 14, 2013 Lexington, KY #7 Louisville 27–13 27 November 29, 2014 Louisville, KY #22 Louisville 44–40 28 November 28, 2015 Lexington, KY Louisville 38–24 29 November 26, 2016 Louisville, KY Kentucky 41–38 30 November 25, 2017 Lexington, KY Louisville 44–17 31 November 24, 2018 Louisville, KY #15 Kentucky 56–10 32 November 30, 2019 Lexington, KY Kentucky 45–13 33 November 27, 2021 Louisville, KY #25 Kentucky 52–21 34 November 26, 2022 Lexington, KY Kentucky 26–13 35 November 25, 2023 Louisville, KY Kentucky 38–31 36 November 30, 2024 Lexington, KY Louisville 41–14 Series: Kentucky leads 19–16 [12] *Kentucky vacated all 2021 wins in August 2024. [13]

Results by location

As of November 30, 2024

City	Games	Kentucky victories	Louisville victories
Lexington	21	9	11
Louisville	15	10	5

Summary

As of November 30, 2024

Years	Games	Kentucky victories	Louisville victories	Score
1912–1924	6	6	0	Kentucky 220 – Louisville 0
1990s	6	3	3	Kentucky 206 – Louisville 179
2000s	10	4	6	Kentucky 263 – Louisville 330
2010s	10	4	6	Kentucky 290 – Louisville 286
2020s	4	2	1	Kentucky 78 – Louisville 106
Total	36	19	16	Kentucky 1,057 – Louisville 901

Coaching records

As of November 30, 2024

Kentucky

Head Coach	Games	Seasons	Wins	Losses	Win %
Mark Stoops	11 [i]	2013–2019, 2021–2024 [ii]	5	5	0.500
Joker Phillips	3	2010–2012	1	2	0.333
Rich Brooks	7	2003–2009	3	4	0.428
Guy Morriss	2	2001–2002	1	1	0.500
Hal Mumme	4	1997–2000	2	2	0.500
Bill Curry	3	1994–1996	1	2	0.333
Fred J. Murphy	1	1924	1	0	1.000
William Juneau	1	1922	1	0	1.000
John J. Tigert	1	1915	1	0	1.000
Alpha Brumage	2	1913–1914	2	0	1.000
Edwin Sweetland	1	1912	1	0	1.000

Louisville

Head Coach	Games	Seasons	Wins	Losses	Win %
Jeff Brohm	2	2023–2024	1	1	0.500
Scott Satterfield	3	2019, 2021–2022 [ii]	0	3	0.000
Lorenzo Ward [iii]	1	2018	0	1	0.000
Bobby Petrino	8	2003–2006, 2014–2017	7	1	0.875
Charlie Strong	4	2010–2013	3	1	0.750
Steve Kragthorpe	3	2007–2009	0	3	0.000
John L. Smith	5	1998–2002	3	2	0.600
Ron Cooper	3	1995–1997	2	1	0.667
Howard Schnellenberger	1	1994	0	1	0.000
Fred Enke	1	1924	0	1	0.000
Bill Duncan	1	1922	0	1	0.000
Will Duffy	1	1915	0	1	0.000
Bruce Baker	1	1914	0	1	0.000
Lester Larson	2	1912–1913	0	2	0.000

1. Kentucky vacated all 2021 wins in August 2024.
2. Kentucky voted with the SEC to not play Louisville in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
3. The Cardinals were led by interim head coach Lorenzo Ward after Bobby Petrino was fired on November 11.

Howard Schnellenberger Award

The 2010 game was the inaugural year for the award. The award is given to the Most Valuable Player on the winning team by the Louisville Sports Commission. It is named for Howard Schnellenberger, who played under Bear Bryant for Kentucky and was Louisville's head coach when the modern football rivalry began in 1994.

Date	Player	Team	Position	Statistics	References
September 4, 2010	Derrick Locke	Kentucky	RB	23 carries, 104 yards, 2 TDs, 3 receptions, 21 yards; 1 kickoff return, 23 yards	[14]
September 17, 2011	Dexter Heyman	Louisville	LB	12 tackles & 1 forced fumble	[15]
September 2, 2012	Teddy Bridgewater	Louisville	QB	19/21, 232 yards	[16]
September 14, 2013	Teddy Bridgewater	Louisville	QB	16/28, 250 yards, 1 TD
November 29, 2014	DeVante Parker	Louisville	WR	6 catches, 180 yards, 3 TD
November 28, 2015	Lamar Jackson	Louisville	QB	8/21, 130 yards, 1 TD; 17 carries, 186 yards, 2 TDs
November 26, 2016	Stephen Johnson	Kentucky	QB	16/27, 338 yards, 3 TDs; 8 carries, 83 yards	[17]
November 25, 2017	Lamar Jackson	Louisville	QB	15/21, 216 yards, 2 TDs; 18 carries, 156 yards
November 24, 2018	Terry Wilson	Kentucky	QB	17/23, 261 yards, 3 TDs; 10 carries, 79 yards, 1 TD	[18]
November 30, 2019	Lynn Bowden	Kentucky	QB	1/2, 4 yards; 22 carries, 284 yards, 4 TDs	[19]
November 27, 2021	Will Levis	Kentucky	QB	14/18, 149 yards; 14 carries, 113 yards, 4 TDs	[20]
November 26, 2022	Matt Ruffolo	Kentucky	K	4–4 FG 43 Long, 2–2 PAT
November 25, 2023	J. J. Weaver	Kentucky	LB	2 fumble recoveries, 8 solo tackles, 1 sack	[21]
November 30, 2024	Isaac Brown	Louisville	RB	26 carries, 178 yards, 2 TDs, 3 receptions, 12 yards	[22]

See also

• List of NCAA college football rivalry games
• Kentucky–Louisville rivalry

References

1. "Louisville Cardinals vs. Kentucky Wildcats – Recap – September 17, 2011". ESPN. September 17, 2011. Archived from the original on November 26, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
2. Mallory, Laurel (August 21, 2013). "Governor's Cup moved to last game of season starting 2014 – wave3.com-Louisville News, Weather & Sports". Wave3.com. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
3. Jones, Steve (August 29, 2017). "Governor's Cup". Louisville-Kentucky football series extended to 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
4. Robinson, Cameron Teague; Hal, Jon (July 30, 2020). "Governor's Cup put on hold after SEC goes with conference-only scheduling model". Courier Journal. Louisville. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
5. Hale, Jon. "In response to 2020 cancellation, Kentucky-Louisville agree to extend football rivalry". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
6. Jeyarajah, Shehan (June 9, 2025). "Louisville poaches key assistant Vince Marrow from Kentucky as GM, signaling major loss for Cardinals' rival". CBS Sports. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
7. McGavic, Matthew. "Report: Louisville 'Expected' to Hire Vince Marrow as General Manager". Louisville Cardinals On SI. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
8. Black, Ryan (November 21, 2023). "5 memorable games between Louisville and Kentucky since the Governor's Cup rivalry resumed". Louisville Courier Journal. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
9. "Kentucky beats No. 11 Louisville 41–38 after Jackson fumble". ESPN. November 26, 2016. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
10. "HEISMAN TROPHY WINNERS LIST". Heisman.com. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
11. "Ray Davis has 3 TDs, Kentucky tops No. 9 Louisville 38–31 to win fifth consecutive Governor's Cup". ESPN. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
12. "Winsipedia – Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals football series history". Winsipedia.
13. "Kentucky will vacate wins as NCAA investigation finds football players received 'impermissible benefits'". August 2, 2024.
14. "Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals – Box Score – September 04, 2010". ESPN. September 4, 2010. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
15. Archived March 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
16. "UofL QB Teddy Bridgewater earns Howard Schnellenberger MVP award | WHAS11.com Louisville". Archived from the original on February 9, 2013. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
17. "Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals – Box Score – November 26, 2016". ESPN. November 26, 2016. Retrieved November 26, 2016.^{[ dead link ]}
18. "Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals – Box Score – November 24, 2018". ESPN. November 30, 2019. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
19. "Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals – Box Score – November 30, 2019". ESPN. November 30, 2019. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
20. "Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals – Box Score – November 27, 2021". ESPN. November 27, 2021. Retrieved November 26, 2016.^{[ dead link ]}
21. "J.J. WEAVER EARNS 14TH ANNUAL HOWARD SCHNELLENBERGER MVP AWARD". LouisvilleSports.org. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
22. McGavic, Matthew (November 30, 2024). "Louisville RB Isaac Brown Wins Howard Schnellenberger Award". Louisville Cardinals On SI. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 30, 2024.