Our future past: A history of athletics at UK

As the curtains closed on another spectacular show of March Madness, and sadly, too, Kentucky basketball, I began to consider: who paved the way for athletics to become so integral to the collegiate experience? 

I took my inquiry to ExploreUK, a website hosted by the University of Kentucky Libraries and further supported by the UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center. ExploreUK lends itself to curious minds who wish to enjoy free books, photographs, newspapers and more spanning across decades of history. 

After sojourning a while and surveying thousands of photos, I have assembled the most significant ones here so that we may deepen our understanding of Kentucky athletics, and more essentially, our future past. 

“Adolph Rupp” photograph by Russell Rice collection on University of Kentucky sports, 1940s-1976.

Coach Adolph Rupp is one of the most legendary figures in college basketball history. Born in Kansas in 1901, Rupp found his love for basketball by shooting a ball of rags into a coffee can which he nailed to a barn wall (the most perfect start to a “rags to riches” story).

He played college basketball at the University of Kansas under legendary coach Phog Allen, who James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, had mentored. Rupp was hired as the head coach of Kentucky’s basketball team in 1930 with an annual salary of just $2,800, roughly $53,000 today. 

During his years as head coach, Rupp won 4 NCAA Championships (1948, 1949, 1951, 1958), and had 876 career wins, twenty-seven regular season titles and thirteen Southeastern Conference (SEC) tournament championships, permanently solidifying his legacy at Kentucky and deservingly having Rupp Arena named in his honor. 

“Wildcat Mascot” photograph by Louis Edward Nollau F Series Photographic Print Collection (University of Kentucky).

Kentucky’s football program started in 1881, making it one of the oldest collegiate programs in the country. After years of varied success, in 1901, Kentucky won an arduous battle over Illinois, and more famously, a Kentucky professor said the team “fought like wildcats.” The name stuck. 

“Bryant with captains” photograph by Mack Hughes negatives.

Paul "Bear" Bryant, who later became a legendary football coach for Alabama, led UK to its first sustained success for his 1950 team going 11-1, winning the SEC Championship, and defeating Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl. 

“Northington, Nat, University of Kentucky African American football player pictured in his uniform” photograph by Portrait Print Collection (University of Kentucky), 1984. 

In 1967, Kentucky player Nate Northington became the first African American to play in a SEC football game, beginning the work of eliminating racial barriers and paving the way for future athletes. 

“Valerie Still-Kentucky,” '79-'83.

Preceding Title IX in 1972, collegiate women's sports were largely underfunded and underrecognized. Valerie Still, however, remains the all-time leading scorer and rebounder for the Kentucky basketball program - men’s and women’s - during her time as a Wildcat from 1979 to 1983. 

“Five unidentified male and female cheerleaders at Commonwealth Stadium” photograph by University of Kentucky general photographic prints, 1954. 

Finally, the UK cheerleading program has remained the most dominant in collegiate history. UK Cheer has won twenty-four Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) National Championships, more than any other program in the country, beginning in 1985 and most recently in 2019.

“Photo taken inside Rupp Arena named for coach Adolph Rupp during a UK basketball game” photograph by University of Kentucky general photographic prints, 1977.

It was by no small effort that athletics at the University of Kentucky were built, instead, the games we enjoy today result from decades of dedication of athletes, coaches, and fans who have shaped Kentucky’s legacy. If you wish to learn more about UK’s history, visit ExploreUK and enjoy their endless free resources, for our future past is a rich one deserving of understanding.