Mark Stoops clarifies 'pony up' comments heading into Louisville game

The Big Blue Nation is not happy with the current state of the Kentucky football program. Ever since a 5-0 start that was highlighted by a blowout home win over Florida in the final weekend of September, the season has crumbled for the Wildcats. The downslide started when an undefeated and ranked Kentucky team was blitzed by a Georgia team that is now four wins away from a third consecutive national title.

The 51-13 loss was a bad moment for Mark Stoops and his program. Losing to Kirby Smart‘s team under the lights at Sanford Stadium happens to many high-quality teams, but Kentucky got swallowed up by the moment in Week 6 and had numerous undisciplined penalties in the matchup.

Following that loss, Stoops responded to a caller on his radio show that ended with him asking fans to “pony up” to help Kentucky improve its roster to help compete against what is consistently one of the most talented teams in college football.

“The other side of that is, if you want to do that, complain, deny or make excuses. And we’re not going to do that, it is what it is. Fans have that right, I give it to them,” Stoops said. “I just encourage them to donate more, because that’s what those dudes are doing. I can promise you Georgia, they bought some pretty good players. You’re allowed to these days.”

“We could use some help. That’s what they look like, when you have 85 of them. I encourage anybody who is disgruntled to pony up some more.”

However, a chunk of the fan base is still upset about those comments. Since that moment, Kentucky is 1-4 in SEC play with three blown fourth quarter opportunities against Missouri, Tennessee, and South Carolina. On Monday, Stoops was asked about those comments again. The all-time winningest coach in Kentucky football history is ready to turn the page.

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“I want to move past that. You have to listen to the whole conversation. Everybody takes a piece of something you say and acts like you’re making an excuse. Please listen to the one-minute conversation,” Stoops told reporters on Monday. “That’s at my radio show where it’s a little more laid back. We can just discuss and talk. I was just very upfront with the caller.”

“Fans have every right. I never get offended or defensive. I may defend our program or our players and say things that we need.”

No matter what happens against Louisville on Saturday afternoon, when we look back and tell the story of the 2023 Kentucky football team, that comment will be brought up. It’s clear the comments after a blowout loss rubbed fans the wrong way after Kentucky went out and landed multiple high-quality offensive transfers and kept some talented sophomore players on the roster.

Winning cures all in college football. Kentucky simply hasn’t won enough since that happened. Stoops is not making excuses for that.

“It was something I light-heartedly said that that person can do something. That is a way they can do something. Outside of that, I make no excuses. You know I haven’t for 11 years,” Stoops said. “I’m not going to start now. I’ll tell you facts and I’ll tell you reality, but I’m not going to make excuses and I’m not going to start now.”

Don’t expect “pony up” to go away until Kentucky starts winning games again.