LEXINGTON, Ky. _ Kentucky football's 2020 travel schedule: Florida's hot, sticky, insufferable Swamp. Auburn, home of the nation's loudest public address system. Missouri, under new management. The incessant "Rocky Top" of Tennessee. And Louisville, with those revenge-minded Cardinals.
No bunnies there for the Cats. None expected. After all, college football's life on the road is full of rude receptions. That's especially true at the participating locations around the SEC.
Only this year, our crazy coronavirus year, there could be a twist:
No fans.
No home-field advantage.
It's true. The jury remains out on college football come September, but even more so when it comes to fannies in the seats, as the late C.M. Newton used to say. Louisville Athletics Director Vince Tyra said recently he believes there will be football, but he is unsure about the "fan experience." When Mitch Barnhart was asked Monday on a video conference about spectators at Kroger Field, the UK AD said, "We're not there yet."
If plans hold, Major League Baseball will be there first. "Play Ball" is scheduled for on or around July 24. There will be games in home stadiums, but not with fans. The NBA follows July 30. Its basketball-in-a-bubble format will be spread among three courts in Orlando. Again, no fans in the stands.
But back to football. UK head coach Mark Stoops said in April he did not favor games without fans. Much has happened since. And yes, Churchill Downs received the green light to welcome spectators for the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5. It's a long way to Labor Day, however. And coronavirus cases are on the rise.
So, for purposes of discussion, let's say will see a fans-free fall. What then? Suddenly Kentucky's Sept. 12 trip to Florida doesn't look so daunting. The Swamp would be merely an outdoor TV studio with 80,000 empty seats. Same at Auburn. And Missouri. And Tennessee. And Louisville. Adjust your point spreads accordingly.
The same holds true if stadiums are only partially filled. A socially-distanced crowd of 25,000 at Neyland Stadium isn't the same as 100,000-plus. Ask the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers, who played in a 27,000-seat soccer stadium the last two seasons. Their 2019 home record: 2-6.
And what happens if one state allows fan attendance while another state, in the midst of an outbreak, restricts viewing to the comforts of your own home.
"I think there's going to be clearly conversations as it relates to activities in our state," Barnhart said Monday. "There's clearly conversations that will take place as it relates to activities in our league."
Actually, even with fans, Kentucky has been a competitive road team the past four bowl years. It won at No. 11 Louisville in 2016. It won its second straight game at South Carolina in 2017. In 2018, it beat Florida in Gainesville for the first time since 1979. It owns two-game win streaks at both Missouri and Vanderbilt.
Kentucky's record away from home the last four years:
_ 2019: 2-3.
_ 2018: 4-2.
_ 2017: 3-3.
_ 2016: 2-4.
_ Totals: 11-12.
Now for the other side of the coin, Kentucky's record at Kroger Field the past four years:
_ 2019: 6-2.
_ 2018: 6-1.
_ 2017: 4-3.
_ 2016: 5-2.
_ Totals: 21-8.
Fans or no fans, what's true on the road is true at home. No fans means less of a home-field advantage. Silence isn't golden. No band. No fight song. No Marcus McClinton, or other former UK player, armed with a microphone at the start of the fourth quarter to fire up the fans. Stadiums would be like press boxes. No cheering allowed.
And Kentucky plays plenty of home games. There were eight at Kroger Field in 2019. Seven are on tap for 2020. Question: When was the last year UK played fewer than seven home games? Answer: 2005. Rich Brooks was the coach. The Cats finished 3-8.
Bottom line: Without fans, Kentucky might have a better chance of consecutive triumphs in Gainesville, but less chance of upsetting Georgia in Lexington.
Right now, let's just hope for games.
