NKU vs. nationally ranked opponents
NORTHERN KENTUCKY AGAINST NATIONALLY RANKED TEAMS
(1971-2012, the college division years)
The Associated Press began conducting a poll for the college division of men’s basketball on Jan. 5, 1961. The rankings consisted of colleges and universities that were members of NCAA college division and/or NAIA. A panel of sportswriters and sports broadcasters voted for the top 10 teams from 1961 through the final poll of the 1967-68 season. The poll was expanded to a Top 20 from 1968-69 through 1970-71, then reverted back to a Top 10 for the two seasons that followed.
In the 1973-74 and 1974-75 seasons, the poll was extended to rank the top 15 teams.
The Associated Press poll was discontinued after the 1974-75 season after the NCAA split the college division into Division II and III. At that time, the NCAA took over the compilation of the weekly poll. The chairmen of each of the eight NCAA Division II regions ranked the top 15 teams starting with the 1975-76 season, and then expanded it to 20 teams in the 1980-81 season. The NCAA continued to conduct the poll until the end of the 1996-97 season.
Starting in the 1997-98 season, Division II Bulletin took over the poll and ranked the top 25 teams in NCAA Division II. That continued until the duties of conducting the poll were shifted to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II Congress after the 2003-04 season.
1972-73
#8 Kentucky State 90, Northern Kentucky 68 (H)
1973-74
#3 Tennessee State 90, Northern Kentucky 74 (A)
#3 Tennessee State 69, Northern Kentucky 63 (H)
#1 UT-Chattanooga 92, Northern Kentucky 85 (A)
#4 Ky. Wesleyan 80, Northern Kentucky 70 (H)
#2 UT-Chattanooga 99, Northern Kentucky 78 (H)
#10 Kentucky State 84, Northern Kentucky 80 (H)
1974-75
#12 Tennessee State 86, Northern Kentucky 83 (A)
#3 UT-Chattanooga 95, Northern Kentucky 76 (A)
#4 New Orleans 97, Northern Kentucky 94 (A)
Northern Kentucky 78, #10 UT-Chattanooga 72 (H)
#1 Kentucky State 108, Northern Kentucky 94 (A)
1975-76
#12 UT-Chattanooga 86, Northern Kentucky 82 (A)
#4 Tennessee State 89, Northern Kentucky 79 (A)
Northern Kentucky 70, #3 Tennessee State 65 (H)
#2 Kentucky State 72, Northern Kentucky 63 (H)
1976-77
#7 Kentucky State 92, Northern Kentucky 79 (A)
Northern Kentucky 81, #4 Youngstown (H)
#8 UT-Chattanooga 94, Northern Kentucky 79 (A)
Northern Kentucky 88, #8 UT-Chattanooga 76 (H)
1977-78
#5 Northern Kentucky 77, #15 Wright State 73 (ot) (A)
1978-79
#4 Wright State 74, Northern Kentucky 69 (ot) (A)
Northern Kentucky 63, #9 Eastern Illinois 61 (H)
1979-80
#2 Wright State 116, Northern Kentucky 66 (H)
#14 Eastern Illinois 90, Northern Kentucky 62 (A)
1980-81
#5 ISU-Evansville 76, Northern Kentucky 59 (H)
#1 Wright State 90, Northern Kentucky 76 (A)
#2 Wright State 91, Northern Kentucky 60 (H)
1981-82
#18 ISU-Evansville 76, Northern Kentucky 71 (ot) (A)
#8 Ky. Wesleyan 67, Northern Kentucky 57 (A)
#2 Wright State 57, Northern Kentucky 55 (ot) (A)
#14 Wright State 69, Northern Kentucky 67 (H)
1982-83
Northern Kentucky 86, #11 Ky. Wesleyan (H) 73
1983-84
#1 Ky. Wesleyan 68, Northern Kentucky 49 (A)
1984-85
#11 Ky. Wesleyan 69, Northern Kentucky 60 (A)
#12 Ky. Wesleyan 75, Northern Kentucky 71 (H)
#20 Wright State 55, Northern Kentucky 53 (A)
1985-86
Northern Kentucky 64 #13 Lewis 62 (2 ot) (H)
#6 Ky. Wesleyan 79, Northern Kentucky 67 (A)
Northern Kentucky 91, #14 Ky. Wesleyan 90 (H)
#15 Lewis 73, Northern Kentucky 64 (A)
#1 Wright State 74, Northern Kentucky 67 (H)
1986-87
Northern Kentucky 72, #19 Lewis 62 (A)
#7 Ky. Wesleyan 70, Northern Kentucky 58 (H)
#5 Ky. Wesleyan 63, Northern Kentucky 52 (A)
#14 Southern Indiana 83, Northern Kentucky 68 (A)
1987-88
Northern Kentucky 103, #2 Ky. Wesleyan 102 (ot) (H)
Northern Kentucky 93, #11 Ky. Wesleyan 85 (A)
Northern Kentucky 85, #19 Lewis 75 (H)
1988-89
#18 IPFW 96, Northern Kentucky 93 (H)
#19 Ky. Wesleyan 100, Northern Kentucky 97 (H)
#20 SIU-Edwardsville 84, Northern Kentucky 81 (H)
#20 Bellarmine 108, Northern Kentucky 105 (ot) (A)
1989-90
#20 Texas A&I 107, Northern Kentucky 91 (N)
#3 Ky. Wesleyan 117, Northern Kentucky 47 (A)
#17 Southern Indiana 95, Northern Kentucky 72 (A)
#12 Southern Indiana 83, Northern Kentucky 82 (H)
#1 Ky. Wesleyan 106, Northern Kentucky 88 (H)
#12 Ashland 88, Northern Kentucky 62 (A)
1990-91
#16 Ky. Wesleyan 89, Northern Kentucky 77 (A)
#14 Bellarmine 79, Northern Kentucky 73 (H)
#1 Ashland 99, Northern Kentucky 84 (A)
#11 Ky. Wesleyan 85, Northern Kentucky 65 (H)
#14 Bellarmine 88, Northern Kentucky 82 (A)
#3 Ashland 93, Northern Kentucky 84 (H)
1991-92
Northern Kentucky 114, #6 Ky. Wesleyan 109 (2 ot) (H)
#11 IPFW 93, Northern Kentucky 87 (H)
#12 Ky. Wesleyan 101, Northern Kentucky 75 (A)
1992-93
#4 IPFW 105, Northern Kentucky 88 (A)Â Â Â Â
#14 Southern Indiana 107, Northern Kentucky 79 (H)
#11 Ky. Wesleyan 91, Northern Kentucky 81 (H)
#19 Ky. Wesleyan 65, Northern Kentucky 62 (A)
#14 Southern Indiana 60 Northern Kentucky 59 (A)
#14 IPFW 87, Northern Kentucky 70 (H)
1993-94
#3 Ky. Wesleyan 94, Northern Kentucky 72 (H)
#19 Gannon 85, Northern Kentucky 75 (A)
#9 Southern Indiana 112, Northern Kentucky 83 (A)
1994-95
Northern Kentucky 96, #1 Southern Indiana 90 (A)
#13 Ky. Wesleyan 90, # 18 Northern Kentucky 87 (ot) (A)
# 9 Northern Kentucky 101, #5 Southern Indiana 97 (H)
#9 Northern Kentucky 100, #3 Ky. Wesleyan 99 (3 ot) (H)
#5 Southern Indiana 102, #9 Northern Kentucky 94 (N)
1995-96
#5 Cal State Bakersfield 83, #19 Northern Kentucky 71 (A)
#4 Southern Indiana 99, #19 Northern Kentucky 66 (A)
#4 Southern Indiana 103, # 15 Northern Kentucky 102 (H)
Northern Kentucky 70, #15 Indianapolis 67 (H)
#19 Northern Kentucky 99, #4 Southern Indiana 87 (A)
#19 Northern Kentucky 56, #6 Cal State Bakersfield 55 (N)
#19 Northern Kentucky 68, #2 Virginia Union 66 (N)
#1 Fort Hays State 70, #19 Northern Kentucky 63 (N)
1996-97
#2 Northern Kentucky 95, #18 South Dakota 87 (N)
#2 Northern Kentucky 83, #5 Virginia Union 66 (A)
#2 Northern Kentucky 69, #3 Washburn 63 (ot) (N)
#2 Northern Kentucky 61, #9 Fla. Southern 50 (A)
#5 Indianapolis 74, #9 Northern Kentucky 73 (A)
#17 Northern Kentucky 96, #10 Southern Indiana 79 (H)
#9 Indianapolis 74, #7 Northern Kentucky 71 (ot) (H)
#9 Northern Kentucky 79, #18 Texas A&M-Com. 67 (N)
#7 Cal State Bakersfield 57, #9 Northern Kentucky 56 (N)
1997-98
#20 Northern Kentucky 87, #7 Southern Indiana 75 (H)
#4 Ky. Wesleyan 62, #18 Northern Kentucky 55 (A)
#12 Northern Kentucky 83, #4 Ky. Wesleyan 76 (H)
#7 Southern Indiana 79, #13 Northern Kentucky 78 (N)
#7 Southern Indiana 81, #13 Northern Kentucky 66 (N)
1998-99
#1 Ky. Wesleyan 86, Northern Kentucky 77 (H)
#2 Southern Indiana 97, Northern Kentucky 76 (A)
#4 Southern Indiana 79, Northern Kentucky 74 (H)
#1 Ky. Wesleyan 69, Northern Kentucky 65 (A)
#1 Ky. Wesleyan 111, Northern Kentucky 70 (N)
1999-00
#10 Northern Kentucky 87, #5 Southern Indiana 79 (H)
#3 Ky. Wesleyan 75, #8 Northern Kentucky 64 (A)
#13 Southern Indiana 75, #19 Northern Kentucky 60 (A)
#8 Southern Indiana 100, #22 Northern Kentucky 89 (N)
#2 Ky. Wesleyan 66, #24 Northern Kentucky 62 (A)
2000-01
#3 Southern Indiana 90, #4 Northern Kentucky 75 (A)
#7 Northern Kentucky 106, #3 Ky. Wesleyan 86 (H)
#5 Ky. Wesleyan 80, #15 Northern Kentucky 57 (A)
#2 Ky. Wesleyan 84, #13 Northern Kentucky 67 (N)
#14 Northern Kentucky 93, #4 Southern Indiana 92 (ot) (N)
#2 Ky. Wesleyan 59, #14 Northern Kentucky 57 (A)
2001-02
#1 Ky. Wesleyan 64, #17 Northern Kentucky 62 (H)
#1 Ky. Wesleyan 99, Northern Kentucky 76 (A)
2002-03
#6 Northern Kentucky 74, #1 Ky. Wesleyan 73 (A)
#12 Northern Kentucky 83, #14 Lewis 71 (H)
#4 Ky. Wesleyan 71, #10 Northern Kentucky 68 (H)
#13 Northern Kentucky 76, #16 Lewis 72 (A)
#10 Northern Kentucky 84, #19 Southern Indiana 82 (N)
#10 Northern Kentucky 58, #20 Lewis 55 (N)
2003-04
#3 South Dakota State 91, Northern Kentucky 76 (N)
#15 Christian Brothers 66, Northern Kentucky 55 (H)
#16 Indianapolis 95, Northern Kentucky 92 (ot) (H)
2003-04 - continued from previous page
Northern Kentucky 81, #1 Southern Indiana 80 (H)
#17 Southern Indiana 74, Northern Kentucky 66 (A)
Northern Kentucky 93 #11 Lewis 90 (3ot) (H)
#13 Southern Indiana 83, Northern Kentucky 74 (N)
2004-05
Northern Kentucky 55, #6 Michigan Tech 53 (H)
#19 Southern Indiana 87, Northern Kentucky 82 (ot) (A)
#7 SIU-Edwardsville 69, Northern Kentucky 66 (A)
#19 Southern Indiana 80, Northern Kentucky 67 (H)
Northern Kentucky 73, #21 SIU-Edwardsville 62 (N)
#4 Southern Indiana 79, Northern Kentucky 49 (N)
2005-06
Northern Kentucky 81 #6 Findlay 71 (H)
Northern Kentucky 69, #19 Lynn (Fla.) 68 (A)
#5 Southern Indiana 75, Northern Kentucky 56 (H)
#18 SIU-Edwardsville 68, Northern Kentucky 59 (A)
#10 Saint Joseph’s 75, Northern Kentucky 69 (H)
#3 Saint Joseph’s 76, Northern Kentucky 58
#22 SIU-Edwardsville 78, Northern Kentucky 74
2006-07
#20 Quincy 70, Northern Kentucky 68 (H)
Northern Kentucky 81, #21 SIU-Edwardsville 76 (H)
#9 Findlay 59, Northern Kentucky 53 (A)
#10 Southern Indiana 83, Northern Kentucky 71 (A)
#14 Southern Indiana 63, Northern Kentucky 61 (N)
Northern Kentucky 60, #3 Findlay 56 (A)
#7 Grand Valley State 66, Northern Kentucky 42 (N)
2007-08
#5 Findlay 66, Northern Kentucky 53 (H)
#6 Drury 69, Northern Kentucky 67 (H)
Northern Kentucky 78, #22 Ky. Wesleyan 63 (A)
#1 Grand Valley State 62, Northern Kentucky 58 (A)
2008-09
#23 Catawba (N.C.) 86, Northern Kentucky 81 (N)
#13 Bellarmine 77, Northern Kentucky 60 (A)
Northern Kentucky 72, #11 Ky. Wesleyan 60 (A)
#8 Southern Indiana 83, Northern Kentucky 78 (A)
#19 Bellarmine 76, Northern Kentucky 68 (H)
Northern Kentucky 69, #18 Bellarmine 47 (N)
2009-10
#13 Grand Valley State 57, Northern Kentucky 54 (A)
#22 Quincy 73, Northern Kentucky 66 (H)
Northern Kentucky 67, #13 Ky. Wesleyan 62 (H)
Northern Kentucky 65, #14 Drury 61 (H)
#8 Ky. Wesleyan 80, Northern Kentucky 60 (A)
Northern Kentucky 68, #2 Southern Indiana 56 (H)
#3 Ky. Wesleyan 81, Northern Kentucky 76 (N)
2010-11
#25 Northern Kentucky 81, #4 Grand Valley State 65 (H)
#22 Southern Indiana 76, #20 Northern Kentucky 63 (H)
#4 West Liberty 109, #23 Northern Kentucky 91 (A)
#2 Bellarmine 85, Northern Kentucky 74 (A)
Northern Kentucky 91, #17 Kentucky Wesleyan 82 (ot) (A)
#2 Bellarmine 71, #18 Northern Kentucky 59 (H)
#6 Southern Indiana 63, #21 Northern Kentucky 60 (A)
#2 Bellarmine 87, Northern Kentucky 82 (A)
2011-12
#3 Bellarmine 64, #8 NKU 60 (A)
#7 Kentucky Wesleyan 74, #9 NKU 57 (H)
#8 Southern Indiana 69, #9 NKU 68 (A)
#16 NKU 77, #22 Indianapolis 61 (H)
#15 NKU 67, #12 Kentucky Wesleyan 55 (A)
#15 NKU 69, #11 Southern Indiana 55 (H)
#2 Bellarmine 86, #8 NKU 75 (H)
#10 NKU 58, #14 Kentucky Wesleyan 51 (N)
#13 Southern Indiana 60, #10 NKU 56 (N)
#25 Findlay 50, #11 NKU 49 (N)
THE NORTHERN KENTUCKY LOWDOWN
From 1971-2012 competing in the college division, Northern Kentucky posted a 57-132 all-time record against nationally ranked opponents. During its days at the small-college level, Northern Kentucky:
• played the No. 1-ranked team in the national poll 17 times.
• was 3-14 against No. 1 teams, with two wins coming against Southern Indiana (1994-95 & 2003-04) and another against Kentucky Wesleyan (2002-03).
• lost its first 10 games against nationally ranked opponents from 1972-74.
• beat No. 10 UT-Chattanooga, 78-72, in Regents Hall on Feb. 10, 1975, for its first-ever win against a nationally ranked team.
• Northern Kentucky's final game as a Division II member was a 50-49 loss to Findlay in the first round of the NCAA Midwest Regional on March 10, 2012, in Louisville, Ky.
DIVISION I ERA
• On Dec. 1, 2013, Northern Kentucky played No. 4 Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. It marked the first time the Norse met a nationally ranked opponent as a Division I program. Ohio State prevailed, 70-43.
• On Nov. 10, 2013, Northern Kentucky met No. 1 Kentucky in Rupp Arena. This marked the first time the Norse had met the nation's No. 1 team in Division I. Kentucky defeated Northern Kentucky, 93-63.
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