Long regarded as a basketball state, Kentucky made an effort in the span of about 24 hours to be seen in the sports world as more than just a state where bouncing ball success happens.

The state’s three Division I schools – Kentucky, Louisville and Western Kentucky – earned bowl victories, including a pair in dramatic fashion.

Having college programs earn a high level of success in multiple sports, like all three have done for years, is a good thing. That the prime revenue generators for college athletic programs – football and basketball – are excelling provides money that can enhance their programs and also help minor sports become financially stable.

On Dec. 30, WKU earned a 23-20 win over Western Michigan in the ServPro First Responder Bowl in Dallas when freshman kicker Cory Munson etched his name into Hilltopper football history by drilling a 52-yard field goal with no time left on the clock.

The victory capped a 9-4 season under first-year head coach Tyson Helton, one that started with setbacks in two of the WKU’s opening three games.

On the same day, Louisville capped an impressive turnaround from a year ago by knocking off Mississippi State, 38-28, in the Music City Bowl to finish the year 8-5 – a year after finishing 2-10.

Head coach Scott Satterfield has been a refreshing addition as a head coach at UofL.

A day later, Kentucky ended an 8-5 season with a dramatic win over Virginia Tech in the Belk Bowl in Charlotte as junior quarterback Lynn Bowden Jr. threw a 13-yard scoring pass with 15 seconds left to tie the game. An extra point gave the Wildcats, who have won 18 games the last two seasons under coach Mark Stoops, the lead. UK tacked on a defensive score as time expired.

This bowl season may have been the most compelling 24 hours of college football this state ever has enjoyed with all three D-I schools winning their respective bowl games and pleasing their fan bases.

In the end, it was a nice step forward in dispelling that long belief only basketball in Kentucky – where three of the top 26 all-time winningest programs reside – can be successful.

It would not be surprising to see all three programs continue to excel at a high level moving forward, not just within their conferences, but also on the national football landscape.