Photo: Kentucky replaces crystal ball national championship trophy from 1951
When Kentucky unveiled its new football facility in late July, one item stood out in particular – the Wildcats 1951 national championship crystal ball trophy.
Of course the crystal balls were not handed out until 1998 during the first season of the BCS era. As many observers noted, Kentucky finished No. 7 in the official AP Poll for 1950 (following the 1951 New Year’s Day Sugar Bowl), making the trophy seem all the more ridiculous to claim.
Despite the AP’s lack of respect, Kentucky does indeed hold a solid argument to claim a national title for that season after defeating the AP’s champion in the Sugar Bowl. However the negative feedback has resulted in the school recently removing the crystal ball and replacing it with the actual 1951 Sugar Bowl trophy:
The "crystal" football on UK's national championship trophy has been replaced with original Sugar Bowl trophy piece pic.twitter.com/EcYprM3z4I
— Jon Hale (@JonHale_CJ) August 8, 2016
Now that the Wildcats honor the actual prize won on the field that day, it certainly makes its claim as 1951 national champions at least look more legitimate. Regardless of which school rightfully owns the national title handed out over a half century ago, let’s just be thankfully that college football no longer uses polls to determine the game’s annual champion.
I don’t see the big deal. They were honoring arguably the best team in UK history. And most people consider UK the 1951 champs anyways, unless you are a OU, UT, or Bama fan.
As a Bama fan I couldn’t care less what UK claims. Saying most people consider UK that champions is a statement you can’t back up…..Keep the crazy assumptions to a minimum and enjoy your tin cup…
First off this is the 1950 college football season we are talking about here not 1951. Second, Tennessee beat Kentucky that season, both teams finished the season 11-1. Kentucky beat #1 Oklahoma in their bowl and Tennessee beat number #2 Texas in the cotton bowl… The national champion was picked before bowl games in those days and 8 polls picked Oklahoma, 5 picked Tennessee, 1(sargarin) picked Kentucky…… But if there was any justice in the world Tennessee would have been unanimous national champion after the bowl games.
Something else that is funny is for all the crap Bama got in 2011 for not winning the conference the exact same thing happend here. UK won the conference but UT was NC by more selectors.
I heard they have removed it to use as a model to construct a MUCH larger one. It will sit on the recruiting deck and will be used as a motivation tool. You push a button and a video of Athletic Director Barnhart will tell of his on going efforts to build more buildings nearby. Among these will be a center for excuses why the Cats can’t be competitive in the SEC. And earlier edition was recently posted in the local newspaper. Another will serve as travel bureau for discount tickers to the Youngstown Ohio area were you will be given a tour of the football fields which produce Stoops’ Troops. Possibly an additional building will include the multiple SEC trophies, excluding men’s basketball, that have been won during AD Barnhart’s tenure at Lexington. Actually it will be a renovated phone booth. So the so called national championship trophy adventure will not have been for naught.
I don’t see the big deal either. Why are we talking about the 1950 season… three weeks before the 2016 season starts?