For 24 long years the frustration and anger built up between the two major universities in the State of Kentucky. The University of Louisville’s basketball program had caught up with the University of Kentucky who at the time was the ultimate measuring stick. However, the Wildcats continued to deny the Cardinals the chance to prove just how powerful they had become. This rejection was about basketball but included race, demographics, country, city, tradition, and the nouveau.

Then by the fate of the 1983 NCAA Tournament the 24 years of frustration would come to a head when these teams would meet in the Regional Final. ESPN recently named this game as one of their top 75 moments of the Tournament but for the folks of the state of Kentucky it was dubbed the “Dream Game.” It was a defining moment that would ignite a feud that has become one of the greatest rivalries in all of college sports.

There has now been a movie made documenting this great rivalry. “The Rivalry: Red V. Blue” is a movie made by the rivals for the rivalry and is something that many UK and UofL fans were a part of. The folks who made this great documentary needed the help of the fans for the completion of principal photography as well as the post-production and distribution expenses of Red V. Blue. They set up a page on Kick Starter where Louisville and Kentucky fans donated $40,000 to help make this film happen.

And the moment we have all been waiting for is here…
On Sunday night the folks who made the film announced an opening weekend screening schedule for Red V. Blue. The very first screening will take place on December 27th at the Lexington Opera House and this will be an invite only event, but some tickets will also be given away. The second screening will take place on December 29th at the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville. There will be two showings on this night in Louisville. The first will be at 7PM and the other at 9PM. The 7PM screening will be for folks that have won free tickets and the 9PM screening will be a general admission event. The third screening will take place on December 30th for the folks in Eastern Kentucky and it will be at the historic SIPP Theater in downtown Paintsville Kentucky. The time of this screening will be at 7PM and it will also be a general admission event. Information on where and how to purchase tickets to these events as well as opportunities to win tickets to these screenings can be found by following @redvblue on twitter.com and on the official Red V Blue website.

If you have grown up in the state of Kentucky and you are a sports fan this rivalry has been a part of your life. I can’t say that for the last 27 years I have enjoyed the entire constant back and forth between me and my friends that cheer for Kentucky. But rivalries are what define sports and every competition needs a great rivalry. We have one of the best rivalries in all of sports and it deserves the credit that this movie will give it. The Rivalry has given us many enjoyable moments and this film will be another one of those moments.

Here’s the official Red V. Blue Theatrical Trailer from Rory Owen Delaney on Vimeo