Mark Stoops Cautiously Optimistic Revenue-Sharing will Even the Playing Field

Dramatic changes in the sport of college football are happening seemingly every year. For three seasons, NIL footed the bill for roster-building budgets. Starting on July 1, the House settlement paved the way for revenue-sharing, allowing schools to directly pay their student-athletes approximately $20 million a year.

It took months for the House settlement to be officially certified, and it’s going to face legal challenges until Congress passes the SCORE Act to codify this new structure within college athletics. Now that there is some certainty, Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops believes it should help his program.

“It’s new. I think every coach that spoke here this week, I saw bits and pieces, but all of us are waiting, cautiously optimistic that this will work. As we move forward, all of us, as far as the way we monitor it, everybody’s staying within the budget, and there are penalties if you exceed that and things of that nature,” Stoops told members of the Lexington media.

“But it excites me, because hopefully, it’ll level the playing field, and not just the people with excess NIL funds, so that excites me. I think the proof is in the pudding. This summer, I just like the approach. I like the way the recruiting has gone, in the communication, the discussions with student athletes, and trying to stay within that framework, but I think it kind of levels things out.”

That may be a naive way of thinking. NIL isn’t going to go away. Programs will still be able to supplement their roster-building budget with NIL dollars.

Last season, Stoops rubbed a lot of Kentucky fans the wrong way for bemoaning the fundraising difficulties he faced. He repeatedly complained about the burden, one that has been alleviated by the House settlement and the additional fundraising efforts at the University of Kentucky.

“The house settlement definitely helps in that area. If everybody plays by the same rules, then it’ll all be even. I think you can understand and write that that probably always hasn’t been the case, right for a long time. So hopefully that’ll even things out,” Stoops said.

“But as far as myself, personally and things of that nature, yeah, the transition was different two years ago, three years ago and and even last year. This season, I think I’ve been on the record as saying it’s been much better. I really greatly appreciated the help Mitch Barnhart and his staff and our fundraising arm of the institution has done an amazing job of helping, and I greatly appreciate that.”

Kentucky was behind the 8-ball in 2024, playing with a $5 million roster against $15-$20 million teams in the SEC. The Wildcats are no longer at such a financial disadvantage, giving Stoops an opportunity to keep the main thing the main thing.

“It let me, kind of put my concentration back on the team,” said Stoops. “I’m grateful for that and just ready to coach.”

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