Could Mark Stoops Swap Gridirons? The Shocking Twist After John Calipari’s Kentucky Exit That Could Change Rivalries Forever

Kentucky basketball’s bright lights just cast a shadow over the football sidelines — and oh boy, does that spell trouble for the Wildcats on the gridiron. With John Calipari packing his bags for Arkansas, the hoops program’s shakeup is sending ripples that could keep football coach Mark Stoops stuck in a tough spot. Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated threw a spotlight on the gargantuan $38 million buyout that’s got Stoops hemming and hawing, suggesting the Wildcats might be more inclined to stick with basketball glory over football’s long-suffering loyalists. Now, watching Stoops’ squad battle Texas in a heartbreaker overtime loss might have been spirited, but the cold truth stings—Kentucky’s football woes are deep, with SEC losses piling up and offensive struggles glaring for years on end. The fanbase’s heartbeat? It’s pounding much louder for hoops, and in this age of NIL dollars and clear-cut priorities, Kentucky’s football future looks less promising than ever. Sure, it’s a tough pill to swallow, especially when your football program hasn’t tasted championship glory since 1950, but the reality’s out there, plain as day. Curious about how this unfolds? LEARN MORE

Good news for Kentucky Wildcats hoops may end up being bad news for the football program. Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde suggested that Mark Stoops can “muddle on” in the head coaching seat because of John Calipari’s voluntary exit from Lexington to coach the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Forde floated Stoops finding his own exit strategy, but not as a serious possibility. Just as a suggestion of Big Blue Nation would want.

“The buyout is believed to be in the $38 million range, which is exorbitant. But think how much money the Wildcats saved on buyouts when John Calipari voluntarily left for Arkansas in ’24,” Forde wrote

“Stoops’s team turned in a tenacious performance Saturday night against Texas, falling in overtime, 13–10. (Speaking of disappointments: yo, Longhorns.) Good try, good effort, but the bottom line is that Kentucky has lost nine straight SEC games and 16 of its last 18 within the league. Bad offenses lose games in the SEC, and the Wildcats have been among the worst on that side of the ball for the past two years.

“Kentucky fans still care far more about basketball, and the NIL figures bear that out. Going all-in on hoops might allow Stoops to muddle on in the job, given the buyout figure, but everyone in the commonwealth would be appreciative if Stoops could find his own exit strategy.”

Kentucky’s brain trust was mad that Calipari called UK a basketball school in 2022, but they’re proving Coach Cal correct by keeping Stoops in the seat because they care more about hoops.

It’s a sad state for the program, but the Wildcats haven’t won a football championship since the 1950 season. Their lack of investment in football isn’t any different than most of the Big Ten ignoring basketball.

In the NIL era, doing business this way has become very transparent. For better or for worse. If anything, Kentucky fans know what seasons to tune in for.

Clearly, it’s not important to tune into the Wildcats’ remaining matchups against the Tennessee Volunteers, Auburn Tigers, Florida Gators, Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles, Vanderbilt Commodores, or Louisville Cardinals.