The Univ. of Kentucky men's basketball '19-20 home schedule features several lower conference opponents such as Utah Valley and Fairleigh Dickinson, but "pressure from the media might lead to more attractive" match-ups in the future at Rupp Arena, according to Jerry Tipton of the LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER. UK men's basketball "season tickets are not cheap," but this year's non-conference home schedule will include home games against only two opponents with "healthy name recognition: Louisville on Dec. 28 and Georgia Tech on Dec. 14." Fans are saying that is "not enough." Neutral site games -- "which next season feature UK against Michigan State in Madison Square Garden, and against Utah and Ohio State in Las Vegas -- pour salt on some fans' wounded feelings." They "want to see Kentucky play neutral site opponents" on a "home-and-home basis" (LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER, 7/28).
IN THE DAWGHOUSE: In Atlanta, Chip Towers noted the Univ. of Georgia men's basketball program will "spend about $800,000 this year to get non-conference opponents on the schedule." The school released eight game contracts in response to an open-records request that show UGA will "pay an average of $90,333 per game to bring six opponents to Stegeman Coliseum" this season. One of the opponents, Delaware State, will get $92,000 to come to Athens as part of UGA's deal to "play in the Maui Invitational this fall." UGA also is paying an additional $255,000 to Global Sports Management for SMU to come to Athens on Dec. 20. The reason for the "high price tag is the deal will include the opportunity to participate in the Global Sports Invitational Tournament next year in Dallas." The "return game to SMU next year is part of a multi-team exempt tournament that will bring" UGA three more non-conference games. Those arrangements are "becoming more common in college basketball scheduling as power-conference teams seek to bring quality non-conference opponents onto their schedules while also playing the maximum number of regular-season games allowed by NCAA rules" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 7/27).
