Brooks ‘leery’ about Miami opener

In an ideal world, Kentucky coach Rich Brooks would rather be playing his season opener in Commonwealth Stadium against someone other than Miami (Ohio), who comes from a conference that has made a living off knocking off BCS opponents.

But in today’s world of complex college football scheduling, you have to give a little to get a little. With options to fill its final game on its 2009 slate dwindling, UK agreed to a two-game series with Miami, the first of which will take place on Sept. 5 at Cincinnati’s Paul Brown Stadium. Miami has agreed to come to Lexington in either 2010 or 2013.

Miami finished just 2-10 last fall, but the RedHawks welcome in a new coach in former Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Haywood. It’s Haywood’s first job as a head coach, and that alone could make things tricky from a scouting perspective.

Also, while the game is technically at a neutral site, the game is part of Miami’s season ticket package. UK will get 30,000 tickets, but there’s a possibility there could be more red than blue at Paul Brown Stadium, which seats 65,535.

“I’m already a little leery and a little nervous,” Brooks said about the game. “We won’t have a lot of game film on (Haywood). It’s a difficult opener at a neutral site. Hopefully we can fill half the stadium in blue and white.”

But Brooks pointed out the positive as well. Kentucky has a strong fan base in the Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati areas. It will also helps the Cats make recruiting in-roads in the Cincinnati area, which produces a good number of Division I prospects annually.

And Brooks noted that nowadays you have to be willing to be more flexible in scheduling.

“We need to expand our role,” he said. “It becomes more and more difficult to try and just schedule non-conference games into your stadium without a return or neutral-site game. It’s a win-win situation, because we can’t play in a better venue.”

Individual ticket prices for the game are $45 for the lower bowl, $35 for the upper bowl and $75 for club level. Tickets can be ordered onoline (www.MURedHawks.com) or by phone at 10-866-MUHAWKS.

Miami athletics director Brad Bates said there isn’t expected to be any live telecast of the game.