Kentucky Fan Unhappy With Home Non-Conference Slate

The move to 20 games means more ACC games but it also means that teams are less willing to play challenging non-conference opponents. The margin of error is less.

As it turns out, ACC fans aren’t alone in having to adjust to lesser schedules. Kentucky fans aren’t very happy either.

One fan wrote the Herald-Leader to complain that the non-conference home schedule is a “valueless product.”

Kentucky is hosting Eastern Kentucky, Evansville, Utah Valley, Mount St. Mary’s, Lamar, UAB and Fairleigh Dickinson which is not exactly Murderer’s Row.

Then again Duke gets Colorado State, Central Arkansas, Georgia State, Stephen F. Austin, Winthrop, Wofford and Brown.

It’s understandable that programs adjust their schedules to circumstances. For instance, no one should be surprised to see Wake Forest or Georgia Tech put together a soft schedule. Neither Danny Manning nor Josh Pastner can afford a bad year.

From a fan’s point of view though, it’s unfortunate. Schools like Duke and Kentucky will continue to sell out but for marginal programs, it’s an issue and we’re pretty sure that among other things, ESPN would prefer to see full stands when the ACC Network is live.