Cost of keeping an unpopular coach

[Deeeefense]

This is just a ball park estimate based on the following data estimates:

1. Average cost of a season ticket package with K-fund donation is about $1000.
2. Suppose half of the season ticket holders decide not to renew
3. There were 40,800 season ticket packages sold in 2024

$1000 * (40,800 * .5) = $20,400,000 lost revenue


This does not include lost revenue from individual ticket holders, concessions and license merchandise sale as well as parking pass revenue.
You might conservatively estimate these revenue could mount up to at least $5 Mil more.

The point I'm making here, is major college athletics is a business, when you have a coach in a situation like this, considering what it will cost to keep that coach as opposed to the buyout, the cost doesn't look to be quit as much of an obstacle as one might think.

 

[RunninRichie]

This will be Stoops last year at UK. He has to totally rebuild the culture in year 13. How is that even possible?

 

[BigBlue1992]

It’s not. Kentucky can certainly pay it. Barnhart is allowing his feelings to take over in this situation because him and Stoops are buds and too he wants to save face by forcing the situation hoping it turns around but zero chance that it does.

 

[BlueTick2]

This will be Stoops last year at UK. He has to totally rebuild the culture in year 13. How is that even possible?

I thought the same thing when Stoops took over this Joker 2-9 dumpster fire. UK FB needed a total rebuild.
Yet he did. 8 straight bowl games, multi 10 win seasons.

Your daily bash and trash of all things UK FB is not in any way supporting UK FB.

 

[Jjohnb5393]

Stoops has sort of bought himself a ‘Prove it ‘ year , and I don’t think he’d be let go with even a small buyout . He’s flush with NIL …new donations, plus savings from guys going pro …and we will have 1500-1700 pass thru the portal this yr. Don’t forget the late ‘wave ‘ of maybe 100 portal entries ( first yr of this ) from playoff teams , many highly recruited that are backups or have been recruited over . I’m willing to look at the roster come April

 

[Boz]

Mitch will extend the renewal date and I doubt they lose 50%; maybe 20%. Spring and summer are long and many will lighten their stand on not renewing.

 

[Fox2monk]

I thought the same thing when Stoops took over this Joker 2-9 dumpster fire. UK FB needed a total rebuild.
Yet he did. 8 straight bowl games, multi 10 win seasons.

Your daily bash and trash of all things UK FB is not in any way supporting UK FB.

He did but he’s on the decline, we haven’t had an o line in years. We haven’t found a QB since Terry. It’s not looking good.

 

[BlueTick2]

He did but he’s on the decline, we haven’t had an o line in years. We haven’t found a QB since Terry. It’s not looking good.

It's always the darkest before dawn.

 

[seccats04]

He did but he’s on the decline, we haven’t had an o line in years. We haven’t found a QB since Terry. It’s not looking good.

Levis?

 

[gojvc]

Stoops has sort of bought himself a ‘Prove it ‘ year , and I don’t think he’d be let go with even a small buyout . He’s flush with NIL …new donations, plus savings from guys going pro …and we will have 1500-1700 pass thru the portal this yr. Don’t forget the late ‘wave ‘ of maybe 100 portal entries ( first yr of this ) from playoff teams , many highly recruited that are backups or have been recruited over . I’m willing to look at the roster come April

This. And I think there is a lot of opportunity for addition by subtraction with this roster.

 

[CUJO_1970]

He has to totally rebuild the culture in year 13. How is that even possible?

It’s not, next year will tank the program. We are looking at a 3-4 win season next year and all the energy sucked out of the program.

The year after that will be a ground up rebuild in which we can only hope the coaching search is not left solely up to Barnhart.

 

[TNCatfanforever]

2025 = The year UK football officially died.

 

[Jjohnb5393]

This. And I think there is a lot of opportunity for addition by subtraction with this roster.

I actually really like the RB room with Wilcox, Trayunum at 100% and Patterson. I think starting cutter in 2025 richly rewards them in 2026 and 2027…while having good and bad in ‘25. I do think Stoops needs to win in ‘25, so he will have a competent backup
NIL priority will be line , where we do have talented redshirts there, youg guys like Selms that played well late. Etc. We will bring 3-4 starter types and a younger with size and loads of potential …all likely just looking to increase their paydays

 

[NoDef]

I think Key just wants to benefit from a bidding war type thing in NIL ’free agency’ his last yr of college. He could set himself for life prior to any NFL. He may even end up a #2 or 3 WR option somewhere big . In my opinion, he’s in the portal now no matter where he’d played prior.

I've heard inside sources say that certain star players ran the program. Some would go and lay down on the sidelines during practice and the assistant coaches were told to leave them alone. Some of those same players would take off a lot plays during the game even though they were losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in draft stock. The players run the program. It's been going on for a while. We had players throwing garbage cans at players and no punishment years ago.

 

[Deeeefense]

2025 = The year UK football officially died.

It's not dead but it is on life support. Hang in there, things are never as bleak as they seam, at some point the clouds will go away and the sun will come out, and a new day and a new chapter in Kentucky football will start. GBB

 

[Fox2monk]

Levis?

Oh yeah duh lol. Yeah Levi’s was dope. His second year is when cracks started to show. It fells so much longer ago.

 

[TOMCATS1990]

Really is frustrating to have a lame duck Coach who’s lost control of the program but is getting to keep his job another year. So many better options

 

[bigblueinsanity]

I've heard inside sources say that certain star players ran the program. Some would go and lay down on the sidelines during practice and the assistant coaches were told to leave them alone. Some of those same players would take off a lot plays during the game even though they were losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in draft stock. The players run the program. It's been going on for a while. We had players throwing garbage cans at players and no punishment years ago.

Agree with all except the last. The garbage can got one guy dismissed and another had alot of work to do to avoid it. Was a changed person after that close call and much better off for it

 

[Lost In FL]

He did but he’s on the decline, we haven’t had an o line in years.

Agree

We haven’t found a QB since Terry. It’s not looking good.

Levis was better than Terry IMO.

Regardless, the last UK QB that threw >3000 yards was Mike Hartline. In 2010. Levis almost got there in 2021.

EDIT: My bad. Hadn't read the whole thread yet. Wasn't trying to pile on.

 

[gamalielkid]

This is just a ball park estimate based on the following data estimates:

1. Average cost of a season ticket package with K-fund donation is about $1000.
2. Suppose half of the season ticket holders decide not to renew
3. There were 40,800 season ticket packages sold in 2024

$1000 * (40,800 * .5) = $20,400,000 lost revenue


This does not include lost revenue from individual ticket holders, concessions and license merchandise sale as well as parking pass revenue.
You might conservatively estimate these revenue could mount up to at least $5 Mil more.

The point I'm making here, is major college athletics is a business, when you have a coach in a situation like this, considering what it will cost to keep that coach as opposed to the buyout, the cost doesn't look to be quit as much of an obstacle as one might think.

The numbers can be really bad - I have said similiar with only 25% loss of season ticket holders. The sad thing about this is that many of us were right - when we didn;t want to be. Many of us said after the A & M fiasco and the previous two years that Stoops was not the same coach he was a few years earlier. Last year was the time to make the move. We had the coach we all know we want ready to take over in Lexington. Maybe it would have been another bad year - but the difference is attitude, discipline and pride in the program. Currently we don't show that with this group of coaches and players. Players can be fixed - I understand that - but to fix that issue you have to have coaches who can fix it. That doesn't appear to be the case. I hope I have to eat a lot of crow next year - because it is obvious Mitch doesn't mind eating it at all! My problem is unique to many here - I am in the twilight of my life. I have lived my entire life wanting to see UK play in a New Year's Six bowl and now make the playoffs. I have had to endure Louisville doing it on multiple occasions - really??!!!!!!

My opportunities are fleeting - and father time and my GP are making me more aware of this everyday. I have to realize UK football is not that important - but to me it is one thing I hold on to and hope. The bright side for me is that at least we have returned to Rupp style of basketball with a coach who loves Kentucky as much as I do!

Go Big Blue!

 

[Deeeefense]

It's been said that a team is a reflection of it's head coach. I won't say any more but you can think back to what the team looked like in 2018 and what it looks like now and draw your own conclusions as to what the problem is.

 

[cathouse]

This is just a ball park estimate based on the following data estimates:

1. Average cost of a season ticket package with K-fund donation is about $1000.
2. Suppose half of the season ticket holders decide not to renew
3. There were 40,800 season ticket packages sold in 2024

$1000 * (40,800 * .5) = $20,400,000 lost revenue


This does not include lost revenue from individual ticket holders, concessions and license merchandise sale as well as parking pass revenue.
You might conservatively estimate these revenue could mount up to at least $5 Mil more.

The point I'm making here, is major college athletics is a business, when you have a coach in a situation like this, considering what it will cost to keep that coach as opposed to the buyout, the cost doesn't look to be quit as much of an obstacle as one might think.

This is why it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever ( business sense) for MB to keep CMS for one more year.

He is banking on saving about $4-5M on a buyout while he has already gained that amount of money on the difference in Cal's bloated salary vs. CMP's current salary.

Stop the bleeding, Mitch.. Cut your losses. And let's move on so someone can come in and at least give us some hope for rebuilding the program.

To expect a coach who has been here 13 years building a program to rebuild it from scratch in one year is insanity.

Not going to happen, IMO.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

This is why it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever ( business sense) for MB to keep CMS for one more year.

He is banking on saving about $4-5M on a buyout while he has already gained that amount of money on the difference in Cal's bloated salary vs. CMP's current salary.

Stop the bleeding, Mitch.. Cut your losses. And let's move on so someone can come in and at least give us some hope for rebuilding the program.

To expect a coach who has been here 13 years building a program to rebuild it from scratch in one year is insanity.

Not going to happen, IMO.

Barney doesn't have expectations for football beyond making a bowl most seasons. In his eyes 8 straight bowls is way better than historical UK expectations so one bad year isn't gonna move the needle.

I am 100% behind a change but have 0 expectations of winning anything that matters regardless unless we consistently are top 3 to 5 in SEC in NIL season after season.

 

[truebluewildcat]

I think in all the discussion about costs of keeping CMS around we’re all assuming some pretty big things.

There’s plenty of dissatisfaction, I don’t know that there is anger. To lose that kind of money/support folks have to be rioting.

Don’t get that sense at all. From what I can tell on here and listening to the shows, the number of “well CMS got us to .500 ball and bowls, that’s a lot more than past eras…” is still pretty large and loyal.

The “listen here young grass hopper…back in my day…” crowd is still by and large pro stoops. They don’t want to rock the boat out of fear of messing up the 6 wins and a bowl doctrine.

Folks still love Marrow and were all worried about UL sniffing around. If there was $20+ million of dissatisfied fans, nobody would have cared.

Also looks like basketball season mens and women’s will have everyone happy all winter. Spring time will roll around on the heels of that, everyone will be hopeful and any football rebellion will be largely muffled.

 

[Jjohnb5393]

I think in all the discussion about costs of keeping CMS around we’re all assuming some pretty big things.

There’s plenty of dissatisfaction, I don’t know that there is anger. To lose that kind of money/support folks have to be rioting.

Don’t get that sense at all. From what I can tell on here and listening to the shows, the number of “well CMS got us to .500 ball and bowls, that’s a lot more than past eras…” is still pretty large and loyal.

The “listen here young grass hopper…back in my day…” crowd is still by and large pro stoops. They don’t want to rock the boat out of fear of messing up the 6 wins and a bowl doctrine.

Folks still love Marrow and were all worried about UL sniffing around. If there was $20+ million of dissatisfied fans, nobody would have cared.

Also looks like basketball season mens and women’s will have everyone happy all winter. Spring time will roll around on the heels of that, everyone will be hopeful and any football rebellion will be largely muffled.

Maybe some are just willing to look at the roster in April …in this age of the portal. Look at vandy, South Carolina, SMU, Louisville, Missouri last yr ( and tons of others ) as examples of what can happen fast

 

[Deeeefense]

Maybe some are just willing to look at the roster in April …in this age of the portal. Look at vandy, South Carolina, SMU, Louisville, Missouri last yr ( and tons of others ) as examples of what can happen fast

Colorado, they recruited almost an entire roster from the portal in Sanders first year.

 

[Jjohnb5393]

Colorado, they recruited almost an entire roster from the portal in Sanders first year.

And Indiana

 

[cathouse]

Barney doesn't have expectations for football beyond making a bowl most seasons. In his eyes 8 straight bowls is way better than historical UK expectations so one bad year isn't gonna move the needle.

I am 100% behind a change but have 0 expectations of winning anything that matters regardless unless we consistently are top 3 to 5 in SEC in NIL season after season.

There will be 9 teams in the playoffs that are not top 3 in NIL.

The excuses for losing football at UK need to stop. We need a clean start with a coach that knows how to compete at the highest level. There is enough NIL money at UK to make that happen.

Just need the right coach.

 

[cathouse]

I think in all the discussion about costs of keeping CMS around we’re all assuming some pretty big things.

There’s plenty of dissatisfaction, I don’t know that there is anger. To lose that kind of money/support folks have to be rioting.

Don’t get that sense at all. From what I can tell on here and listening to the shows, the number of “well CMS got us to .500 ball and bowls, that’s a lot more than past eras…” is still pretty large and loyal.

The “listen here young grass hopper…back in my day…” crowd is still by and large pro stoops. They don’t want to rock the boat out of fear of messing up the 6 wins and a bowl doctrine.

Folks still love Marrow and were all worried about UL sniffing around. If there was $20+ million of dissatisfied fans, nobody would have cared.

Also looks like basketball season mens and women’s will have everyone happy all winter. Spring time will roll around on the heels of that, everyone will be hopeful and any football rebellion will be largely muffled.

That's exactly what Mitch is banking on. His inner circle is happy with status quo in football and MB is too as long as the money keeps coming in.

 

[TOMCATS1990]

I’d argue if you plucked the best players from Ohio U and Marshall and made a team with a competent Coach your in the playoff in any conference including the SEC. Recruiting is far less important than the portal. Our Coach is lost in the this new world of NIL.

 

[cathouse]

I’d argue if you plucked the best players from Ohio U and Marshall and made a team with a competent Coach your in the playoff in any conference including the SEC. Recruiting is far less important than the portal. Our Coach is lost in the this new world of NIL.

He's lost because he wants to be lost. Too much effort required to be HC now with NIL ans the transfer portal. He longs for the good old days which are never coming back.

 

[MrHotDice]

The numbers can be really bad - I have said similiar with only 25% loss of season ticket holders. The sad thing about this is that many of us were right - when we didn;t want to be. Many of us said after the A & M fiasco and the previous two years that Stoops was not the same coach he was a few years earlier. Last year was the time to make the move. We had the coach we all know we want ready to take over in Lexington. Maybe it would have been another bad year - but the difference is attitude, discipline and pride in the program. Currently we don't show that with this group of coaches and players. Players can be fixed - I understand that - but to fix that issue you have to have coaches who can fix it. That doesn't appear to be the case. I hope I have to eat a lot of crow next year - because it is obvious Mitch doesn't mind eating it at all! My problem is unique to many here - I am in the twilight of my life. I have lived my entire life wanting to see UK play in a New Year's Six bowl and now make the playoffs. I have had to endure Louisville doing it on multiple occasions - really??!!!!!!

My opportunities are fleeting - and father time and my GP are making me more aware of this everyday. I have to realize UK football is not that important - but to me it is one thing I hold on to and hope. The bright side for me is that at least we have returned to Rupp style of basketball with a coach who loves Kentucky as much as I do!

Go Big Blue!

Ticket holders will have no affect on profit sharing. SEC profit sharing I believe is were the money comes from.

 

[Jjohnb5393]

Ticket holders will have no affect on profit sharing. SEC profit sharing I believe is were the money comes from.

There’s going to be an amount of money .say $17-20 million ..whatever, that each school is required to put in a fund to distribute to all athletes. That number required will a bigger deal to some , versus others

 

[gobigblue812]

This is just a ball park estimate based on the following data estimates:

1. Average cost of a season ticket package with K-fund donation is about $1000.
2. Suppose half of the season ticket holders decide not to renew
3. There were 40,800 season ticket packages sold in 2024

$1000 * (40,800 * .5) = $20,400,000 lost revenue


This does not include lost revenue from individual ticket holders, concessions and license merchandise sale as well as parking pass revenue.
You might conservatively estimate these revenue could mount up to at least $5 Mil more.

The point I'm making here, is major college athletics is a business, when you have a coach in a situation like this, considering what it will cost to keep that coach as opposed to the buyout, the cost doesn't look to be quit as much of an obstacle as one might think.

Those numbers are way off. More than half will renew. The higher ends seats have a long wait list, believe me, I know. The average cost of non renewals will be much less than $1000. My season tix are $1000 and I sit on the 30 yard line. Some season tix will be bought as individual game tix.

Mitch and the bean counters know about what it will cost them versus the buyout.

 

[Girthang]

This is just a ball park estimate based on the following data estimates:

1. Average cost of a season ticket package with K-fund donation is about $1000.
2. Suppose half of the season ticket holders decide not to renew
3. There were 40,800 season ticket packages sold in 2024

$1000 * (40,800 * .5) = $20,400,000 lost revenue


This does not include lost revenue from individual ticket holders, concessions and license merchandise sale as well as parking pass revenue.
You might conservatively estimate these revenue could mount up to at least $5 Mil more.

The point I'm making here, is major college athletics is a business, when you have a coach in a situation like this, considering what it will cost to keep that coach as opposed to the buyout, the cost doesn't look to be quit as much of an obstacle as one might think.

Looks like it might be time for me to scoop up season tickets again. Dropped them during Joker's tenure. If the right seats open up...

 

[Girthang]

It's been said that a team is a reflection of it's head coach. I won't say any more but you can think back to what the team looked like in 2018 and what it looks like now and draw your own conclusions as to what the problem is.

Did we have someone else as head coach in 2018? Sort of

Stoops has had a lot of outside factors that contributed to the setbacks on the field. His divorce is a major one, but second to losing Coach Schlarman. NIL stresses, OC departures, and portal misses also blew up in our face.

If we regroup and get back to what got us 10 wins twice, improve at the QB position and run the ball, we might get back to the seasons like that and that I thought we might have had this year.

 

[phunterd]

Looks like it might be time for me to scoop up season tickets again. Dropped them during Joker's tenure. If the right seats open up...

Yep. Buy the dip. We got on the 50 yard line in 2012 lower level and have had them since.

 

[Girthang]

Yep. Buy the dip. We got on the 50 yard line in 2012 lower level and have had them since.

Yeah, I missed that one by a few months. Maybe we'll be neighbors