The 1983 Hall of Fame Classic Bowl was the sixth installment of the Hall of Fame Bowl. The game featured the Kentucky Wildcats of the Southeastern Conference and the West Virginia Mountaineers, then an independent. West Virginia was 8–3 entering the game and was ranked #18 in the AP poll at the time of the game; the Mountaineers had been ranked as high as #4 in the AP poll during the season. Kentucky was 6–4–1, 2–4 in the SEC. West Virginia was favored by 10 points over Kentucky. In the final AP poll for the season West Virginia, finishing 9–3, was ranked #16.