SIMPSONVILLE, Ky. — On Thursday, Joker Phillips and members of his staff made the drive down Interstate 64 to the Cardinal Club in Simpsonville, Ky. There, Phillips played in the Governor’s Cup Classic and spoke at the press conference following lunch at the annual event.The week of festivities, sponsored by Kroger, is but one of a handful of events billed as the unofficial kickoff to the football season. The same was said about Southeastern Conference Media Days and will be said again Friday at the Kickoff Luncheon, but Phillips saw Thursday as significant.”What a day,” Phillips said. “My last day to play golf. I put my clubs in the back of my pickup hoping somebody would steal them.”From here, Phillips will have no time to hit the links. He’ll be bouncing around to coaches’ meetings and events with donors leading up to media day next Friday. The following day is Fan Day, then fall camp gets going. Football season is truly upon us.As is the case every year the Louisville Cardinals host the intra-state rivalry, the showdown for the Governor’s Cup is the first game on the schedule. Fall camp will lead up to the nationally televised game on Sunday, Sept. 2, which both Phillips and U of L head coach Charlie Strong made sure to try to keep in perspective in answering questions. However, Phillips wouldn’t hide from what the game has become.”It’s become an intense game,” Phillips said. “Why? Because the team that has won this game usually leaves the game with momentum. We both go our separate ways and the team that has won has carried the momentum to the next game.”Perhaps even more than in recent years, hype is already swirling around the game. Fans from both sides are buzzing, but Phillips isn’t about to let himself or his players feed in to making UK-U of L something it shouldn’t be.”I respect this rivalry and I’m a Kentuckian,” Phillips said. “I’m just so happy that we play. For many years we didn’t play…We’re not going to disrespect the rivalry. That’s what’s important to me.”Phillips talked about the U of L game among other topics regarding the upcoming season. Listen to what he had to say in the video below:

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