The Battle On Broadway, also known as the Kentucky–Transylvania rivalry, is a rivalry between inter-city and in-state rivals. With the creation of the NCAA, Transylvania University was placed in Division III while Kentucky stayed in Division I. Both schools in fact were once under the same Kentucky University. The Agricultural & Mechanical College of Kentucky eventually broke off to become its own separate entity in 1878.
Football
Kentucky played its first three games against Transylvania, the year after Transylvania had faced Centre in the first game in the state. The 1903 Transylvania Pioneers claimed a southern championship.
Football game results
Transylvania victories
Kentucky victories
Tie games
No.
Date
Location
Winner
Score
1
1881
Lexington, KY
Kentucky University
2–1
2
1881
Lexington, KY
Kentucky State College
7–1
3
1881
Lexington, KY
Kentucky University
3–2
4
1892
Lexington, KY
Tie
0–0
5
1892
Lexington, KY
Kentucky State College
10–4
6
1893
Lexington, KY
Kentucky State College
28–0
7
1893
Lexington, KY
Kentucky State College
38–28
8
1896
Lexington, KY
Kentucky State College
36–6
9
1897
Lexington, KY
Kentucky State College
8–6
10
1898
Lexington, KY
Kentucky State College
18–0
No.
Date
Location
Winner
Score
11
1899
Lexington, KY
Kentucky State College
23–6
12
1900
Lexington, KY
Kentucky State College
12–0
13
1901
Lexington, KY
Kentucky University
27–0
14
1902
Lexington, KY
Kentucky University
6–5
15
1903
Lexington, KY
Kentucky University
17–0
16
1904
Lexington, KY
Kentucky State College
21–4
17
1907
Lexington, KY
Kentucky State College
5–0
18
1909
Lexington, KY
Kentucky State College
77–0
19
1911
Lexington, KY
Transylvania
12–5
Series: Kentucky leads 12–6–1
Basketball
Being in the same city of Lexington was a major fueling point for the rivalry. Before Transylvania was renamed and the rivalry was renewed, it had led the rivalry 6 games to 5.
For the next three years the rivalry would not be played entirely, until they met three times in the 1911 season. For the first meeting in three years Transylvania would win the first contest at Kentucky 23–18. On February 27, 1905 it was Kentucky who would win at their rivals home 22–19. A final game was played in March of that year, which saw Kentucky win 30–24. This would be the last meeting of the two for one hundred years.
The long dormant rivalry would once again be played in the 2011 season. However over these one hundred years Kentucky had forged its way as one of the most successful programs in college basketball with eight NCAA Division I titles to its name by that time. Because Transylvania was in Division III, these games were exhibitions and did not count towards either schools' season records. Transylvania and Kentucky met again for exhibitions over the next two years, with Kentucky winning both handily.
Basketball game results
Transylvania victories
Kentucky victories
Tie games
No.
Date
Location
Winner
Score
1
February 20, 1903
Lexington, KY
Kentucky University
42–2
2
December 2, 1904
Lexington, KY
Kentucky University
12–5
3
February 26, 1904
Lexington, KY
Kentucky University
14–12
4
January 27, 1905
Lexington, KY
Kentucky State College
30–29
5
February 4, 1905
Lexington, KY
Kentucky University
29–1
6
February 22, 1905
Lexington, KY
Kentucky University
33–23
7
January 11, 1906†
Lexington, KY
Kentucky State College
1–0
8
February 2, 1907
Lexington, KY
Kentucky State College
16–14
9
March 7, 1907
Lexington, KY
Kentucky University
29–5
10
January 21, 1908
Lexington, KY
Kentucky State College
20–15
11
February 4, 1908
Lexington, KY
Kentucky State College
20–15
12
January 20, 1911
Lexington, KY
Transylvania
23–18
13
February 27, 1911
Lexington, KY
Transylvania
22–19
14
March 3, 1911
Lexington, KY
Kentucky State College
30–24
15
November 2, 2011
Lexington, KY
Kentucky
97–53
16
November 1, 2012
Lexington, KY
Kentucky
76–42
17
November 5, 2012
Lexington, KY
Kentucky
78–28
Series: Kentucky leads 9–8
† The score was unrecorded, but Kentucky won.
The three latest matches were all exhibition matches.