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Dick Vitale continues quest to renew Indiana/Kentucky series

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Ever since it was announced that Indiana and Kentucky would be ending its series over differences related to where the games would be played, more than a few college basketball fans have wondered what it would take to get the two storied programs back on the same floor.

Kentucky head coach John Calipari prefers that the games be played on neutral courts, while Indiana’s Tom Crean wanted a home-and-home setup. And with neither side willing to budge on its stance, a return to the court seems unlikely for the time being.

One of the people aiming to change this is ESPN color commentator Dick Vitale, who’s been passionate in his appeals to get Indiana and Kentucky to renew acquaintances on the basketball court. And according to Rick Bozich of WDRB Louisville, Vitale has an idea for the series: donate the funds generated by the game to pediatric cancer research.

Vitale said that he left long, passionate messages for both coaches, alternately encouraging and admonishing them to work out the scheduling impasse. In fact, Vitale wants to put an exclamation point on the series when the Wildcats and Hoosiers eventually play again by creating a cause:

He wants the game to generate $250,000 for a grant in his battle against pediatric cancer. If anybody can make that happen, Dick Vitale can make that happen.


That’s certainly a good cause to get behind, and it’s one that affects every fan base in America. So why not get together in the name of helping those who can use the help?

Obviously it isn’t this simple however, and it’s certainly debatable if the two storied programs need to play each other as neither has an issue scheduling marquee non-conference games. But the Indiana/Kentucky series is one that college basketball would be enhanced by if resumed. Hopefully at some point the two programs reach common ground, and if it can benefit children as well that would be even better.

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