College football teams in the state of Kentucky don’t always get the respect they deserve, and the Eastern Kentucky Colonels are no exception to that. As an FCS program, most fans assume it’s easy to find cheap Eastern Kentucky football tickets. However, that’s not always true because the Colonels are one of the most accomplished FCS programs. For decades, the Colonels have been one of the premier programs in the Ohio Valley Conference and a program that makes frequent appearances in the FCS playoffs. One thing that hasn’t changed over the years is that last-minute EKU football tickets remain in high demand in the Bluegrass State.

All About the Kidd

No figure is more important in the history of Eastern Kentucky football than Hall of Fame coach Roy Kidd. In high school, he turned down the opportunity to play for Bear Bryant at the University of Kentucky and instead played quarterback for EKU. In 1964, he became the head coach of Eastern Kentucky and quickly built the program into an FCS powerhouse. Kidd ended up staying at his alma mater for nearly 40 seasons, not retiring until after the 2002 campaign.

During his tenure as Eastern Kentucky’s coach, he led the Colonels to at least a share of the Ohio Valley Conference championship 16 times. More importantly, he won national championships in 1979 and 1982, with the latter being a perfect 13-0 season for the Colonels. From 1979 to 1997, Eastern Kentucky failed to make the FCS Playoffs just twice, establishing the Colonels as one of the elite programs of that era.

Life After the Kidd

Naturally, EKU has quite lived up to legacy Kidd built since he retired. However, the Colonels have remained a yearly contender in the Ohio Valley Conference. Both Danny Hope and Dean Hood led Eastern Kentucky to conference championships during their tenure with the Colonels. Even if Eastern Kentucky is no longer a national powerhouse at the FCS level, the Colonels are one of the most consistent programs in the country and have a bright future.