Kentucky basketball fills date of Louisville game to raise money for tornado relief

Kentucky basketball lost its rivalry game against Louisville but the Wildcats quickly filled the date with a game that will help tornado relief.

The Bluegrass State saw one of its biggest rivalries taken off the board when the Kentucky basketball matchup against Louisville was called off for Wednesday due to the Cardinals pausing athletics with COVID. That left the Wildcats with an open date that they immediately looked to try and fill.

Perhaps the most natural fit would’ve been to line up another in-state battle for the vacated Wednesday slot. However, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers were already scheduled to play Austin Peay on that day.

Then, with reports that the Govs would not be able to play, Kentucky basketball and Western Kentucky reached a deal to play on Wednesday. Even better, the game will help to raise money for Kentucky tornado relief with a portion of ticket sales and other efforts going towards the cause.

Kentucky basketball playing Western Kentucky to benefit tornado relief

While it’s obviously a shame that the Kentucky-Louisville rivalry won’t add another chapter — at least not on Wednesday — it’s great to see John Calipari and the Wildcats move forward for a good cause.

The initial matchup between the big in-state rivals was going to have efforts that would go to tornado relief as well, so it’s even better for Kentucky to schedule another game that will still allow them to continue helping the cause in the state after it was devastated by tornadoes earlier this month.

Kentucky athletics has already raised north of $4 million for tornado relief through various efforts, including a telethon that Calipari was a central figure in helping out with and organizing. It’s great to see college basketball work for the greater good.

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