"Fought like Wildcats"

When you think of The Kentucky Wildcats you immediately think of “Basketball”; 2002 victories, 7 National Championships, 49 NCAA tournament appearances, and 98 NCAA tournament wins. But our official nickname for UK’s athletic teams became synonymous with UK shortly after a 6-2 football victory over Illinois on Oct 9, 1909, on the road. Commandant Carbusier, then head of the military department at old State University, told a group of students in a chapel service following the game that the Kentucky football team had “fought like Wildcats.”

L. Potter, Alumn Baseball Player