The difference in enthusiasm

[Skyguyb27]

There were still better candidates than Pope when he was hired. If we were going to roll the dice on an unproven coach, why not get a young up and comer (similar to Stein)? Instead we got an unproven coach with a proven track record whose best accomplishment was he played here.

I would have rather Mitch rolled the dice on Jai Lucas or a mid major coach who had success.

Problem is we rolled the dice once and it failed, we need a sure thing next time. I have faith Batt won’t panic like Mitch did and get a good hire.

I agree but the intent wasn’t to bash Pope more. The point is there will always be good coaches lurking and waiting for a chance. Mitch chose poorly and for the wrong reasons with this hire. The new AD I think would hire someone from a different caliber.

 

[UkBluePrint]

Can’t be worse than 2 Elite Eights? It was Cals time to go but if we are using a 10 year window he still had 2 of them. You think in the next 10 years UK football will finish top 8 twice, then you’re crazy.

sorry man....tides have changed. it's over

 

[Catastic5]

I dunno I'm kinda in a weird place i guess.

I don't have faith in Pope. And obviously the excitement as a whole has died down.

But then again I found myself driving two and a half hours to Rupp last night. Just like I will do on Oct 28th as well. When I there I still had excitement. Even tho I know this is probably not a title contending team.

I guess to me UK bball is still UK bballl.

And then with UK football it's like yes there's excitement. This has been a dream year so far. But what is going to really flip this thing around there is whether or not this becomes consistent.

So it's like even tho I think Stein is obviously going well and Pope not so much, I'm still not fully on board here. The SEC is tough in football (tho admitingly last few years in bball as well). I guess I'm just in a wait and see mode with both sports at the moment.

Kentucky basketball is still Kentucky basketball, but it’s inching ever so closely where it’s no longer “Kentucky basketball.” Not to me at least. I’m holding out hope we can turn this around, but every year of mediocrity is another year closer to where I probably won’t be an undyingly follow evey facet of the program. I’ll still watch occasionally, but I probably won’t watch exhibition games or minor games no one really cares about.

Pope has to succeed this season. If he doesn’t; if we don’t get a successful new coach, I seriously have to ask myself why am I continuing this masochistic path of blindly supporting a program that no longer cares?

Look at Indiana basketball. Look at their Midnight Madness where the bleachers were bare. You think that might not happen to Kentucky basketball, but it can. Years of mediocrity breeds indifference. The fact that so many fans were asking stuff like “I didn’t even know we had an exhibition” or “Big Blue Madness was tonight!?” is a telling sign that for many fans, Kentucky basketball really isn’t Kentucky basketball any more. And that frightens me.

 

[UkBluePrint]

Can’t be worse than 2 Elite Eights? It was Cals time to go but if we are using a 10 year window he still had 2 of them. You think in the next 10 years UK football will finish top 8 twice, then you’re crazy.

How are things going....BUHHHHDDD?

 

[Anon794131]

Too many of the "Kentucky is a basketball state" fans are living in the past. Football tv contracts are more lucrative that MBB contracts. The Football Championship Series generates revenue for the teams, not the NCAA. Home football games generate more revenue than MBB. 50,000 plus fans, many in premium seats, club level seats and suites, generate millions of dollars per game. In 2025 Football was the major revenue generator for UK Athletics. Shocking, during a blah year, football revenue was about twice as that of MBB. I understand that fans 'hung their hats" on men's basketball for years due to success, but football has generated more revenue during the majority of that time.