(LOUISVILLE, Ky.) — A new collectible commemorating one of college football’s most storied in-state rivalries hit the market Friday, just in time for this weekend’s Governor’s Cup showdown.
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled an officially licensed Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals rivalry bobblehead ahead of the football game in Louisville. The special edition piece features both schools’ mascots — Kentucky’s The Wildcat and Louisville’s Louie the Cardinal — flanking a replica of the Governor’s Cup Trophy.
The limited-edition bobblehead is now available exclusively through the museum’s online store for $50, plus an $8 flat-rate shipping charge https://store.bobbleheadhall.com/collections/bobbleheads/products/kentuckyvslouisville. Each of the 2,025 individually numbered collectibles is expected to ship in May.
The design showcases the two mascots standing side-by-side on a football field base with “WILDCATS” in one end zone and “CARDINALS” in the other. Both mascots wear their respective uniforms while giving the No. 1 signal and holding footballs adorned with their school logos. The Governor’s Cup Trophy replica stands between them, while team logos appear on the front of the base.
“We’re excited to unveil this limited-edition Kentucky vs. Louisville Rivalry Bobblehead,” said Phil Sklar, co-founder and CEO of the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum. “This bobblehead will be the perfect way for Kentucky and Louisville fans, alumni, students, faculty, and staff to show off their school and state pride!”
Saturday’s matchup marks the 37th meeting between the two programs in the modern era of the rivalry. While the teams first played in 1912, they met only six times before the rivalry was suspended after 1924. The series resumed 70 years later in 1994 with the creation of the Governor’s Cup Trophy.
Kentucky holds a 20-17 advantage in the all-time series. The Wildcats won five consecutive meetings before Louisville claimed victory in last year’s game. Since 2014, when Louisville joined the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Governor’s Cup has been played on Thanksgiving weekend as the regular-season finale for both teams.
The game’s Most Valuable Player receives the Howard Schnellenberger Award, established in 2010 and named for the coach who played under Bear Bryant at Kentucky and led Louisville when the rivalry resumed.
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, located at 170 S. 1st St. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, opened in February 2019. The organization is an official licensee of both the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville.
