Kentucky Sports Radio – August 22, 2025, Hour 1

Live from the Volunteers of America Community Care Campus, Louisville
Host: Matt Jones, with Ryan Lemond & Shannon The Dude
Notable Guest: Richie Farmer (UK legend, former Kentucky Mr. Basketball)

Episode Overview

Theme:
The KSR crew broadcasts from the new Volunteers of America facility in Louisville, blending Kentucky Wildcats sports talk with community focus. Matt Jones, Ryan Lemond, and Shannon The Dude discuss SEC football schedule changes, anticipation for the start of college football, and delve into basketball with special guest Richie Farmer. The episode mixes local flavor, UK athletics speculation, and personal anecdotes, capturing the show’s signature lively tone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Live from Volunteers of America: Community & Connections

• Venue: KSR broadcasts from the grand opening of the VOA Community Care Campus in Louisville’s Smoketown neighborhood—a center for supporting homeless families and individuals.
• Partnerships: Facility run via partnership between Volunteers of America & Louisville Metro, modeled on successful programs also present in Manchester (Clay County) and Lexington.
  • “Clay County and Louisville are partner cities… that’s very cool.” – Matt Jones (02:41)
• Crowd: Strong showing of Kentucky fans, local dignitaries present (including Senate President Robert Stivers, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg).

2. College Football Countdown: Optimism and Schedule Changes

• Season Anticipation: High excitement for the imminent season; Kentucky opens play in eight days.
  • (03:31) Ryan Lemond: “I gotta be honest, I’m really starting to get excited… I’m buying into it.”
  • (03:55) Shannon: “It’s sort of rinse and repeat… we talk ourselves into being excited because why not enjoy it, right?”
• SEC Schedule Shake-up:
  • Big Announcement: SEC moving to 9 conference games next year. Every team plays three fixed opponents annually, rotates the other six; means all SEC teams play each other every two years and host all in four.
  • Impact:
    • Fans will see every conference power at Kroger Field across four years.
    • Notable stat: Texas A&M hasn’t hosted Georgia since joining the SEC in 2012 (05:03).
  • Loss of 'gimme' games: With 9 conference games & the annual Louisville game, Kentucky loses one of its easier matchups, making bowl eligibility tougher.
    • Matt Jones: “The chances for Kentucky to get to six wins, get a bowl… they become harder.” (06:21)
  • Mitch Barnhart’s Stance: UK’s AD opposed; suggests it’s a challenge for program advantages and home game revenue. At best, UK will have 7 home games/year, losing years with 8.
    • “We basically will have six, seven every year… there’ll be no year, Shannon, that we get eight.” – Matt Jones (07:22)

3. Who Will UK's Three SEC Rivals Be?

• SEC Groupings: Attempts to balance schedules by grouping schools into elite, middle, and bottom tiers; everyone is assigned one from each group as a primary opponent.
  • “They want each SEC team to have, as one of their three primary opponents, one team in each group.” – Matt Jones (10:19)
• Likely Rivals:
  • Tradition will keep some rivalries (e.g., Auburn–Alabama, Texas–Oklahoma).
  • Kentucky probably gets South Carolina (their designated rival by default), likely Georgia from the elite tier, and either Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, or Missouri from the lower tier.
  • Discussion on whether to preserve the Tennessee rivalry, which might end as an annual matchup.
    • (13:00) Ryan Lemond: “I would not be in favor of that. I would rather have Tennessee… than Georgia who’s been a powerhouse.”
    • (13:19) Matt Jones: “I’d like to have the three easiest teams we can have… Missouri, Vandy, Mississippi State.”
  • Consensus: Accepting the likely trio of Georgia, South Carolina, and one of the lesser “bottom tier” teams.

4. Football Rivalries and Non-Conference Games

• Louisville Rivalry:
  • Series contractually locked in for four more years; after that, future unclear, especially if SEC launches a Big Ten challenge.
  • “If they do that, that would mean 11 games like that. But at least for now, the Louisville series stays on for four years.” – Matt Jones (06:11)
  • Speculation that Barnhart’s successor may ultimately decide fate of the rivalry.

5. Campus & Local Anecdotes

• Personal Notes:
  • Ryan adjusting to an empty house after son Josiah leaves for college; shares the emotional impact. (17:08)
    • “I go home and the house is just quiet and empty.” – Ryan Lemond (17:16)
  • KSR listener dinner feedback and fun stories (including a drone wildcat light show at UK for new students).
    • “First of all, very cool idea, right?... The cat is kind of in a very sassy pose there.” – Matt Jones (18:13)
  • Humorous Harry Potter donut promo: Krispy Kreme offers a free donut if you declare your “house.”
    • General disinterest and confusion among hosts about Harry Potter culture (20:55).

6. Feature Interview: Richie Farmer

[23:39–33:17]

A. Clay County–Louisville Bond

• Far-reaching connections between rural Eastern Kentucky and urban Louisville, emphasizing shared challenges and the power of collaboration.
  • (25:37) Farmer: “Very, very similar [problems]… I think [Jennifer Hancock] has built a bridge between Louisville and Eastern Kentucky.”

B. On Mark Pope Era

• Farmer is enthusiastic about Mark Pope as UK basketball coach:
  • “I've said—when Coach Pitino came, he was the exact right Coach at the exact right time… with Mark Pope, we couldn't have had a better person.” – Richie Farmer (26:36)
• Admits initial skepticism, but Pope's quick assembly of a competitive team changed his perspective: “He has done a phenomenal job… in 30 days, he put together a pretty good deal.” (27:02)
• Farmer loves the offense, calls it a style “the kids really like to play.” Excited about Trent Noah as a shooter from Eastern Kentucky. (28:00)

C. Nostalgic & NIL Discussion

• On style fit: Farmer would have thrived in Pope’s wide-open system; says Jamal Mashburn would be a "perfect four."
• NIL Reflection:
  • “If we had NIL during when Richie was here, he would have been retired.” – Matt Jones (32:33)
  • Farmer: “I’m still trying to figure out how I can get in on that, man.” (32:12)

D. Pitino’s Return to Big Blue Affection

• Farmer glad BBN has “re-embraced Rick”: “That was my coach and I've always had a really good relationship with him… it meant so much to him.” (30:48)

E. 2025-26 UK Basketball Outlook

• Farmer: "I think we've got the potential to be a Final Four team." (31:54)

7. Lighter Sports Topics & Local Culture

• Reds Talk: Team called up “Big Sugar” Zach Maxwell, a character in the bullpen.
  • “If you look at him, he looks like a Big Sugar… big old belly, neck beard…” (35:47)
• Kentucky as Gryffindor, Louisville as Slytherin:
  • Listener quips about Harry Potter houses as sports rivalry stand-ins. (36:53)
    • “You just think Kentucky is Gryffindor and Louisville is Slytherin, that’s all you need to know.” – Jake (36:57)

8. Audience Call-Ins

• Hard Knocks: Discussion of UK alumni featured (Maxwell, Ray Davis); suggested as a recruiting advantage with high visibility among high school players.
  • “Every high school football kid watches Hard Knocks… so if they're showing these Kentucky guys… that could do nothing but help.” – Ryan Lemond (38:28)
• Local Traditions:
  • Augusta’s 52nd Annual Frog Derby brought up—hosts banter about quirky Kentucky traditions.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The chances for Kentucky to get to six wins, get a bowl… they become harder.” —Matt Jones (06:21)
• “I’d like to have the three easiest teams we can have.” —Matt Jones (13:19)
• “I’m still trying to figure out how I can get in on that [NIL], man.” —Richie Farmer (32:12)
• “That was my coach and I’ve always had a really good relationship with him… it just meant so much to him.” —Richie Farmer on Rick Pitino (30:48)
• “You just think Kentucky is Gryffindor and Louisville is Slytherin… that’s all you need to know.” —Jake, listener (36:57)

Timestamps for Notable Segments

• Venue Intro & Community Discussion: 00:29–03:05
• Football Season Countdown Begins: 03:05–04:12
• SEC Schedule Change Diagnostic: 04:12–15:05
• Local Anecdotes (Drones, Listener Dinner, Harry Potter Donut): 17:08–22:52
• Richie Farmer Interview: 23:39–33:17
  • Clay County/Louisville connections: 23:39–26:17
  • Mark Pope & UK Basketball: 26:17–33:17
• Big Sugar & Reds Segment: 35:29–36:34
• Harry Potter Rivalry Call-in: 36:53–37:25
• Recruiting/Hard Knocks Impact: 37:41–38:44
• Local Frog Derby Call-in: 40:55–41:54

Conclusion

This KSR episode blends substantial UK sports news—especially the seismic SEC football scheduling update and Kentucky’s associated rivalries—with a distinctly local and personal feel. With a lively backdrop at a community-focused event, spirited fan and host engagement, and a nostalgic, candid interview with Richie Farmer, the episode captures the essence of Kentucky sports culture and camaraderie.

Listeners get both a primer on key changes for UK’s upcoming seasons and a dose of signature KSR humor, making it a compelling listen for diehard and casual fans alike.