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Governor's Cup (Kentucky)
American college football rivalry
American college football rivalry
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| wide | yes |
| name | Kentucky–Louisville football rivalry |
| team1 | Kentucky Wildcats |
| team1logo | Kentucky Wildcats logo.svg |
| team2 | Louisville Cardinals |
| team2logo | Louisville Wordmark (2023).svg |
| sport | Football |
| firstmeeting | October 26, 1912 |
| Kentucky, 41–0 | |
| mostrecent | November 29, 2025 |
| Louisville, 41–0 | |
| nextmeeting | November 28, 2026 |
| at Kentucky | |
| total | 37 |
| series | Kentucky leads, 19–17 |
| largestvictory | Kentucky, 73–0 (1922) |
| longeststreak | Kentucky, 7 (1912–1994) |
| currentstreak | Louisville, 2 (2024–present) |
| trophy | The Governor's Cup |
| trophy series | Louisville leads, 17–13 |
| stadiums | Kentucky – Kroger Field |
| Louisville – L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium |
Kentucky, 41–0 Louisville, 41–0 at Kentucky Louisville – L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium | mark-coord1 = | label-pos1 = top | label-color1 = black | mark-coord2 = | label-pos2 = top | label-color2 = black 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. The annual matchup for the Governor's Cup began in 1994.
History
Although the two teams first met in 1912 – which was also Louisville's inaugural football season – 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. The rivalry finally resumed in 1994 with a new Governor's Cup trophy which has been awarded every year since.
Kentucky leads the series 19–17. Since the modern series started in 1994, Louisville leads 17–13. 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, which coincided with several other ACC-SEC same-state rivalries.
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. The rivalry will continue until at least the 2030 season with Kentucky hosting in even years and Louisville hosting in odd years.
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.
In December 2025, following a 41–0 loss to Louisville, Kentucky fired head coach Mark Stoops and hired Will Stein from Oregon. Will Stein is a Louisville native and played QB for the Cardinals from 2008 to 2012, before working as an assistant coach for Louisville in 2013 and 2014. As part of his staff, long time Louisville assistant coach and recruiter Pete Nochta was hired away from Louisville where he worked as the Director of Recruiting. This hiring came just 6 months after Louisville hired Marrow from Kentucky.
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.
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. Lamar Jackson would go on to the win the Heisman Trophy.
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
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
| October 26, 1912 | Lexington, KY | Kentucky | 41 | Louisville | 0 | November 22, 1913 | Louisville, KY | Kentucky | 20 | Louisville | 0 | November 14, 1914 | Lexington, KY | Kentucky | 42 | Louisville | 0 | November 6, 1915 | Louisville, KY | Kentucky | 15 | Louisville | 0 | October 14, 1922 | Lexington, KY | Kentucky | 73 | Louisville | 0 | October 4, 1924 | Lexington, KY | Kentucky | 29 | Louisville | 0 | September 3, 1994 | Lexington, KY | Kentucky | 20 | Louisville | 14 | September 2, 1995 | Lexington, KY | Kentucky | 10 | Louisville | 13 | August 31, 1996 | Lexington, KY | Kentucky | 14 | Louisville | 38 | August 30, 1997 | Lexington, KY | Kentucky | 38 | Louisville | 24 | September 5, 1998 | Louisville, KY | Kentucky | 68 | Louisville | 34 | September 4, 1999 | Lexington, KY | Kentucky | 28 | Louisville | 56 | September 2, 2000 | Louisville, KY | Kentucky | 34OT | Louisville | 40 | September 1, 2001 | Lexington, KY | Kentucky | 10 | Louisville | 36 | September 1, 2002 | Louisville, KY | Kentucky | 22 | #17 Louisville | 17 | August 31, 2003 | Lexington, KY | Kentucky | 24 | Louisville | 40 | September 5, 2004 | Louisville, KY | Kentucky | 0 | Louisville | 28 | September 4, 2005 | Lexington, KY | Kentucky | 24 | #12 Louisville | 31 | September 3, 2006 | Louisville, KY | Kentucky | 28 | #13 Louisville | 59 | September 15, 2007 | Lexington, KY | Kentucky | 40 | #9 Louisville | 34 | August 31, 2008 | Louisville, KY | Kentucky | 27 | Louisville | 2 | September 19, 2009 | Lexington, KY | Kentucky | 31 | Louisville | 27 | September 4, 2010 | Louisville, KY | Kentucky | 23 | Louisville | 16 | September 17, 2011 | Lexington, KY | Kentucky | 17 | Louisville | 24 | September 2, 2012 | Louisville, KY | Kentucky | 14 | #25 Louisville | 32 | September 14, 2013 | Lexington, KY | Kentucky | 13 | #7 Louisville | 27 | November 29, 2014 | Louisville, KY| Kentucky | 40 | #22 Louisville | 44 | November 28, 2015 | Lexington, KY | Kentucky | 24 | Louisville | 38 | November 26, 2016 | Louisville, KY | Kentucky | 41 | #11 Louisville | 38 | November 25, 2017 | Lexington, KY | Kentucky | 17 | Louisville | 44 | November 24, 2018 | Louisville, KY | #15 Kentucky | 56 | Louisville | 10 | November 30, 2019 | Lexington, KY | Kentucky | 45 | Louisville | 13 | November 27, 2021 | Louisville, KY | Kentucky | 52 | Louisville | 21 | win33=none | November 26, 2022 | Lexington, KY | Kentucky | 26 | #25 Louisville | 13 | November 25, 2023 | Louisville, KY | Kentucky | 38 | #10 Louisville | 31 | November 30, 2024 | Lexington, KY | Kentucky | 14 | Louisville | 41 | November 29, 2025 | Louisville, KY | Kentucky | 0 | Louisville | 41
Results by location
As of November 29, 2025
| City | Games | Kentucky Wildcats}}" | Kentucky victories | Louisville Cardinals}}" | Louisville victories |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington | 21 | 10 | 11 | ||
| Louisville | 16 | 9* | 6 |
Summary
As of November 29, 2025
| Years | Games | Kentucky Wildcats}}" | Kentucky victories | Louisville Cardinals}}" | Louisville victories | Score | Total | 37 | 19* | 17 | Kentucky 1,057 – Louisville 942 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 5 | 2* | 2 | Kentucky 78 – Louisville 147 |
- *Kentucky vacated all 2021 wins in August 2024.
Coaching records
As of November 29, 2025
Kentucky
| Head Coach | Games | Seasons | Wins | Losses | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Stoops | 12 | 2013–2019, 2021–2024 | 5* | 6 | 0.455* |
| 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 | 3 | 2023–2025 | 2 | 1 | 0.667 |
| Scott Satterfield | 3 | 2019, 2021–2022 | 0 | 3 | 0.000 |
| Lorenzo Ward | 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 |
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 Wildcats}};" | Kentucky | RB | 23 carries, 104 yards, 2 TDs, 3 receptions, 21 yards; 1 kickoff return, 23 yards | ||||
| September 17, 2011 | Dexter Heyman | Louisville Cardinals}};" | Louisville | LB | 12 tackles & 1 forced fumble | ||||
| September 2, 2012 | Teddy Bridgewater | Louisville Cardinals}};" | Louisville | QB | 19/21, 232 yards | ||||
| September 14, 2013 | Teddy Bridgewater | Louisville Cardinals}};" | Louisville | QB | 16/28, 250 yards, 1 TD | ||||
| November 29, 2014 | DeVante Parker | Louisville Cardinals}};" | Louisville | WR | 6 catches, 180 yards, 3 TD | ||||
| November 28, 2015 | Lamar Jackson | Louisville Cardinals}};" | Louisville | QB | 8/21, 130 yards, 1 TD; 17 carries, 186 yards, 2 TDs | ||||
| November 26, 2016 | Stephen Johnson | Kentucky Wildcats}};" | Kentucky | QB | 16/27, 338 yards, 3 TDs; 8 carries, 83 yards | ||||
| November 25, 2017 | Lamar Jackson | Louisville Cardinals}};" | Louisville | QB | 15/21, 216 yards, 2 TDs; 18 carries, 156 yards | ||||
| November 24, 2018 | Terry Wilson | Kentucky Wildcats}};" | Kentucky | QB | 17/23, 261 yards, 3 TDs; 10 carries, 79 yards, 1 TD | ||||
| November 30, 2019 | Lynn Bowden | Kentucky Wildcats}};" | Kentucky | QB | 1/2, 4 yards; 22 carries, 284 yards, 4 TDs | ||||
| November 27, 2021 | Will Levis | Kentucky Wildcats}};" | Kentucky | QB | 14/18, 149 yards; 14 carries, 113 yards, 4 TDs | ||||
| November 26, 2022 | Matt Ruffolo | Kentucky Wildcats}};" | Kentucky | K | 4–4 FG 43 Long, 2–2 PAT | ||||
| November 25, 2023 | J. J. Weaver | Kentucky Wildcats}};" | Kentucky | LB | 2 fumble recoveries, 8 solo tackles, 1 sack | title=J.J. WEAVER EARNS 14TH ANNUAL HOWARD SCHNELLENBERGER MVP AWARD | url=https://www.louisvillesports.org/news/j-j-weaver-earns-14th-annual-howard-schnellenberger-mvp-award/#:~:text=The%20Howard%20Schnellenberger%20MVP%20Award,by%20the%20Louisville%20Sports%20Commission. | website=LouisvilleSports.org | access-date=November 26, 2023}} |
| November 30, 2024 | Isaac Brown | Louisville Cardinals}};" | Louisville | RB | 26 carries, 178 yards, 2 TDs, 3 receptions, 12 yards | ||||
| November 29, 2025 | Braxton Jennings | Louisville Cardinals}};" | Louisville | RB | 20 carries, 113 yards, 5.7 ypc |
References
References
- (September 17, 2011). "Louisville Cardinals vs. Kentucky Wildcats – Recap – September 17, 2011". ESPN.
- Mallory, Laurel. (August 21, 2013). "Governor's Cup moved to last game of season starting 2014 – wave3.com-Louisville News, Weather & Sports". Wave3.com.
- Jones, Steve. (2017-08-29). "Governor's Cup".
- (July 30, 2020). "Governor's Cup put on hold after SEC goes with conference-only scheduling model". Courier Journal.
- Hale, Jon. "In response to 2020 cancellation, Kentucky-Louisville agree to extend football rivalry".
- (9 June 2025). "Louisville poaches key assistant Vince Marrow from Kentucky as GM, signaling major loss for Cardinals' rival".
- "Report: Louisville 'Expected' to Hire Vince Marrow as General Manager". Sports Illustrated.
- Toppmeyer, Blake. (2025-12-04). "Kentucky football hires Will Stein as head coach / Expert grades UK Wildcats BBN". USA Today.
- Roush, Nick. (2025-12-04). "UofL Director of Recruiting Pete Nochta Expected to Join Will Stein's Staff at Kentucky". On3.
- Black, Ryan. (November 21, 2023). "5 memorable games between Louisville and Kentucky since the Governor's Cup rivalry resumed". Louisville Courier Journal.
- (November 26, 2016). "Kentucky beats No. 11 Louisville 41–38 after Jackson fumble". ESPN.
- "HEISMAN TROPHY WINNERS LIST".
- "Ray Davis has 3 TDs, Kentucky tops No. 9 Louisville 38–31 to win fifth consecutive Governor's Cup".
- "Winsipedia – Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals football series history".
- (August 2, 2024). "Kentucky will vacate wins as NCAA investigation finds football players received 'impermissible benefits'".
- (August 2, 2024). "Kentucky will vacate wins as NCAA investigation finds football players received 'impermissible benefits'".
- (September 4, 2010). "Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals – Box Score – September 04, 2010". ESPN.
- [http://www.lex18.com/news/louisville-linebacker-dexter-heyman-named-schnellenberger-mvp] {{webarchive. link. (March 25, 2012)
- "UofL QB Teddy Bridgewater earns Howard Schnellenberger MVP award | WHAS11.com Louisville".
- (November 26, 2016). "Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals – Box Score – November 26, 2016". ESPN.
- (November 30, 2019). "Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals – Box Score – November 24, 2018". ESPN.
- (November 30, 2019). "Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals – Box Score – November 30, 2019". ESPN.
- (November 27, 2021). "Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals – Box Score – November 27, 2021". ESPN.
- "J.J. WEAVER EARNS 14TH ANNUAL HOWARD SCHNELLENBERGER MVP AWARD".
- (30 November 2024). "Louisville RB Isaac Brown Wins Howard Schnellenberger Award". Sports Illustrated.
- (29 November 2025). "Cards Win Governor's Cup to Conclude Regular Season". University of Louisville.
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