(Source: AP Photo/David Stephenso)

It is officially Rivalry Week, y’all! This Saturday night one of the most heated rivalries in all of college athletics will face off in the 31st “Battle for the Governor’s Cup.” While there should be some added excitement with UK bringing a national ranking into the game for the first time ever, the name of the game falls flat once again.

The “Governor’s Cup,” is not only a dull, boring name for such an intense rivalry, but it’s also a generic name that many other rivalries use. My solution? Change the name of the game to something not only unique, but specifically something unique the state of Kentucky: THE BOURBON BOWL!

As previously mentioned, the current name is not a unique rivalry game name in college athletics. In fact, the Kansas vs Kansas State, the Georgia Tech vs Georgia, the Eastern Washington vs Montana, as well as the Brown vs Rhode Island games all involve either playing for a trophy named the “Governor’s Cup,” or the name of the game is the “Governor’s Cup.” That is just in college football alone. If you look across all sports you’ll find the name “Governor’s Cup” being used in college baseball, minor league baseball, professional hockey, harness racing, professional football, indoor football, soccer, yacht racing, and college basketball. The point being is that the name of the game is not unique in the slightest for such a unique and fun rivalry.

Let’s embrace what makes this state so great, and the one of only things Cards and Cats fans agree on: BOURBON. When you think of Bourbon you think of this state and the passionate fans that cheer on our Cards and the Cats. As I’m sure you know, bourbon is one of the state’s top exports, as well as one of its top tourist attractions. We should allow such a great identifier of our state to bear its name on our states greatest rivalry game.

While the NCAA does not permit any alcoholic beverage over six percent alcohol by volume to advertise during NCAA events, this does not mean we couldn’t have the word “Bourbon” associated with a name of a rivalry. It is not a direct advertisement of any specific commercial product. In fact, other rivalry games bear the name of nonspecific alcohol related products in their rivalry names, such as WKU vs Marshall’s “Moonshine Throwdown,” Florida vs Georgia’s “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party,” Appalachian St vs Western Carolina’s “Battle for the Old Mountain Jug (moonshine),” or Coast Guard vs. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s “The Shotglass Trophy Game.” The point being? Bourbon Bowl is not only an incredible and representative name for our game, but also it’s a perfectly appropriate and NCAA rule-abiding name.

I am not suggesting that we replace the Governor’s Cup trophy, although a Bourbon Barrel trophy would be quite impressive, but that we change the name to a more exemplifying and unique name for our state’s greatest rivalry game.

BOURBON. BOWL.

To make this dream become a reality, I have started a petition that you can visit and sign here: https://www.change.org/p/matt-bevin-change-governors-cup-to-the-bourbon-bowl

Let’s make this happen. Go Cards. Beat Kentucky. Go Bourbon Bowl.

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