College football rivalries are full of pettiness, and the Eastern Kentucky Colonels are putting on a clinic ahead of their game against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on Saturday. Eastern Kentucky has chosen to block its in-state rival from wearing white for its own "white out" game.
Back in July, the Hilltoppers announced their home-opener against the Colonels would be a white out game. The plan was for Western Kentucky to wear its white uniforms while fans filled the stands with the same color.
It sounds simple enough, but Eastern Kentucky wanted to make things difficult on its long-time rival. On Wednesday, Western Kentucky announced the Colonels have exercised their right as the visiting team to wear white uniforms, and they won't be changing their minds.
A statement on Saturday’s uniform: pic.twitter.com/mg8XUpAW1O
— WKU Football (@WKUFootball) September 4, 2024
That means Western Kentucky will now have to wear red for its own white out game. Despite that uniform change, the school is still encouraging fans to wear white to Houchens Industries L. T. Smith Stadium on Saturday.
Hilltoppers coach Tyson Helton wasn't asked directly about the uniform pettiness, but he did say he expects a great atmosphere with the team hosting a bitter rival in its home opener.
"I hope we have a really good crowd. It should be a really good atmosphere," Helton said. "I think with the white out and all those things -- first (home) game of the season and the long-time rivalry game over the years here. There's a lot of history there, so I'd like to think we have a good crowd and a good atmosphere."
The rivalry between the Hilltoppers and Colonels stretches all the way back to 1914, when Eastern Kentucky defeated Western Kentucky, 36-6. Since then, the Hilltoppers have controlled the rivalry and own a 48-35-3 record against EKU.
The last time these two teams met was in 2017, and the Hilltoppers came away with a 31-17 win. The Colonels' last victory in the series came back in 2006.
