Home » Mayors bet a day at the tracks as UK and UofL renew basketball rivalry

Mayors bet a day at the tracks as UK and UofL renew basketball rivalry

Gray to welcome Fischer to Rupp Arena

UK men's basketball, Louisville men's basketball, John Calipari, Rick Pitino, Rupp ArenaLOUISVILLE, Ky. (Dec. 26, 2013) — With the nation’s premier basketball rivalry resuming Dec. 28, Mayor Jim Gray of Lexington and Mayor Greg Fischer of Louisville are putting a friendly wager on the line: the winning mayor gets the opportunity to show off his hometown race track.

“Mayor Fischer, it will be a pleasure to welcome you to Rupp Arena, the Cathedral of College Basketball. I’m hoping you won’t take the loss too hard … after all, Kentucky has won twice as many of these match-ups as Louisville,” said Gray, who predicted he will enjoy hosting the Louisville mayor at Keeneland next spring.

“When the Cards win with their superior quickness and experience, I will be honored to host Mayor Gray for a day at the races during the spring meet at Churchill Downs,” Fischer said.

The two mayors will be sitting together for the big game in Section 31, Row D, Seats 5 and 6 at Rupp Arena.

The two mayors are both businessmen who are collaborating to grow jobs and strengthen the 22-county Louisville and Lexington region through the BEAM initiative – the Bluegrass Economic Advancement Movement. The idea for the initiative was born at a December 2010 UK/UofL game at the KFC Yum Center.