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Another year, another controversy over the timing of the football game between the universities of Louisville and Kentucky.

ESPN has offered to place this year’s season opener between the two teams at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium in its “Monday Night Football” time slot on Labor Day night. As U of L announced its full 2008 schedule today, head coach Steve Kragthorpe said the Cardinals “would love to do it” and were just waiting for UK’s approval.

But Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart told The Courier-Journal this afternoon that the Wildcats won’t agree to play that Monday night.

“We’re willing to play that game Thursday through Sunday, and we’ve communicated that to the people at ESPN,” Barnhart said. “We’re not going to play that on a Monday night and give ourselves that short turnaround on a Saturday game. We’re going to have a young team, and we feel it’s in the best interest of our program to guard that prep time and that recovery time.”

UK plays Norfolk State the following Saturday. U of L also has a game that Saturday, against Tennessee Tech.

UK refuses to play U of L on ESPN's preferred night