'I'm not interested in exiting': Mark Stoops believes in Kentucky's administration, wants to get football program to next level

Mark Stoops again generated a ton of attention in the college football space on Wednesday when an interview with The Cats Pause revealed some of the frustrations the 12th-year head coach has with NIL and Kentucky’s lack of funding. The 57-year-old sounded like someone who was worn down and did not have enough support around him. Some could term that as a lack of alignment.

On Monday afternoon at Kentucky’s Kickoff Luncheon at Kroger Field, Stoops went out of his way in his opening statement to share that he believes in Kentucky’s alignment and knows the program would not be where it is today coming off eight consecutive bowl game appearances with two double-digit win seasons if not for the support from the top down.

“It would not be possible if we did not have the continuity that we’ve had within our staff and certainly in our administration. Dr. [Eli] Capilouto, Mitch Barnhart, myself, Marc Hill, Rock Oliver, Sandy Bell. All of these people have been with me since day one,” Stoops said. “Have really provided tremendous leadership. You may hear a few things about me. Sometimes in the summer, get a little frustrated. Got some things on my plate.”

“Sometimes in football, it’s my job to take care of the football program and you get stuck in my own little cave over there. But you look at the challenges that we have in college athletics and it makes me feel very small because it’s monumental. What Dr. Capilouto, what Mitch, and our administration have to deal with in the next 12 months is unprecedented and we’ve already been dealing with a lot. We’ve adapted and done the very best we can and will continue to find creative ways to continue to be as competitive as we’ve been and take it to another level.”

The NCAA was hit with a haymaker when courts agreed that the amateurism model was illegal. That forced the NIL and transfer portal era to arrive at the same time. College athletics has been reeling ever since and is struggling to create its own model with legitimate sustainability. The House v. NCAA settlement will officially bring revenue-sharing and scholarship limits to all sports. That is a huge challenge that every athletic department has to face. In the meantime, Kentucky needs financial donations to field an SEC football roster. Those donations will likely still be needed even after revenue-sharing arrives in 2025.

Mark Stoops expressed frustration about where college football is and where the sport is headed, but the head coach wants everyone to know he is not backing down from the fight.

At SEC Media Days two weeks ago, Stoops attempted to make it clear that Kentucky is proud of the last eight years but they are not interested in being complacent. Stoops’ dalliance with Texas A&M during Thanksgiving weekend and recent shared NIL frustrations have many speculating if this could be the final season for the winningest head coach in Kentucky football history. The former Arizona and Florida State defensive coordinator directly told fans at Monday’s luncheon that he has no plans to leave and is committed to getting Kentucky to the next level.

“That’s what we want. That’s what you want,” Stoops said about elevating the Kentucky football program. “I’m not interested in sitting here and just existing. And I’m not interested in exiting. We’re interested in finding ways and exploring ways to be the best we possibly can at Kentucky.”

That next step includes getting Kentucky into the 12-team College Football Playoff. To get there, the Wildcats will likely need to win 10 regular-season games and that has yet to happen under Stoops. That will be more difficult in a 16-team SEC without divisions. A nine-game conference is also likely arriving in 2026.

Kentucky has some big challenges ahead, but Mark Stoops says he’s committed to getting this program over the next hump.

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