UK Football will never be above average. Why? Long.

[TNCatfanforever]

The state doesn’t produce enough quality D-1 players and we are located the middle. Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame Penn State control Ohio Michigan Indiana and Pennsylvania. Tennessee produces several D-1 players and all dream of playing for UT or UGA or Bama. UNC, NCSU, Duke, and even Tn gobble up the talent in North Carolina. Clemson and USC jr own South Carolina. Georgia belongs to Georgia Tennessee. Florida belongs to FSU, Miami, Florida. Alabama belongs to Bama and Auburn. Mississippi is owned by Ole Miss and State U. Etc Etc.
You see the problem. We are like most mid majors we eat leftovers. About 15 teams dominate college football and Kentucky isn’t one and never will be because we have no tradition and there isn’t enough home grown talent. UK basketball is a power because of Rupp and tradition and the state has always produced talented players even though Cal wouldn’t recognize them. Calipari was right though…UK always has been and always will be a basketball school.

 

[3Bluefever325]

True, except we had talent on par with USCjr according to rankings sites and got rolled.

 

[KattieCat]

In this age of the portal, I bet some team breaks through and does it. Someone who isn't considered a blue blood. It may not be UK, but I bet at some point someone will put together a good enough team to do it. A couple years ago TCU made it. They got destroyed, but I believe it will be done eventually.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

In this age of the portal, I bet some team breaks through and does it. Someone who isn't considered a blue blood. It may not be UK, but I bet at some point someone will put together a good enough team to do it. A couple years ago TCU made it. They got destroyed, but I believe it will be done eventually.

Don't see that happening as playoff continues to expand. It will be the same ole teams that spend a ton in NIL and have the tradition and history.

 

[K_TIME]

The state doesn’t produce enough quality D-1 players and we are located the middle. Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame Penn State control Ohio Michigan Indiana and Pennsylvania. Tennessee produces several D-1 players and all dream of playing for UT or UGA or Bama. UNC, NCSU, Duke, and even Tn gobble up the talent in North Carolina. Clemson and USC jr own South Carolina. Georgia belongs to Georgia Tennessee. Florida belongs to FSU, Miami, Florida. Alabama belongs to Bama and Auburn. Mississippi is owned by Ole Miss and State U. Etc Etc.
You see the problem. We are like most mid majors we eat leftovers. About 15 teams dominate college football and Kentucky isn’t one and never will be because we have no tradition and there isn’t enough home grown talent. UK basketball is a power because of Rupp and tradition and the state has always produced talented players even though Cal wouldn’t recognize them. Calipari was right though…UK always has been and always will be a basketball school.

So how did UK have 2 10 win Citrus bowl seasons in 2018 and 2021? Were those not above average seasons?

 

[gamecockcat]

Until just recently, I felt we could be Iowa of the SEC. Win 6-9 games consistently with an outlier once every 4-5 years (both high and low).

Honestly, I think that's as good as we'll ever be. We aren't ever going to be top 12 year in and year out, imo. Too many disadvantages vs Bama, USC, OSU, MI, Pa St, GA, FL, FSU, LSU, TX, TN, OK, et al. But, four wins this year may send us reeling for a few years and I don't know if I'm up for several bad years in a row. Already feeling my love for CFB wane with NIL, transfer portal insanity, 40+ bowl games, coaches making insane salaries, 3.5 hours to play the darn game, etc.

 

[Fadhi]

So how did UK have 2 10 win Citrus bowl seasons in 2018 and 2021? Were those not above average seasons?

They were above average seasons but who in the SEC did they beat?

 

[jnewc2]

The state doesn’t produce enough quality D-1 players and we are located the middle. Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame Penn State control Ohio Michigan Indiana and Pennsylvania. Tennessee produces several D-1 players and all dream of playing for UT or UGA or Bama. UNC, NCSU, Duke, and even Tn gobble up the talent in North Carolina. Clemson and USC jr own South Carolina. Georgia belongs to Georgia Tennessee. Florida belongs to FSU, Miami, Florida. Alabama belongs to Bama and Auburn. Mississippi is owned by Ole Miss and State U. Etc Etc.
You see the problem. We are like most mid majors we eat leftovers. About 15 teams dominate college football and Kentucky isn’t one and never will be because we have no tradition and there isn’t enough home grown talent. UK basketball is a power because of Rupp and tradition and the state has always produced talented players even though Cal wouldn’t recognize them. Calipari was right though…UK always has been and always will be a basketball school.

Dang, we don’t have enough “talent” to not get blown out on our home field by a team that squeaked by Old Dominion last week? The NFL draft experts say this is one of the most talented teams in the country. But what do they know. Is this Stoops’ burner account?

 

[WildcatofNati2]

In this age of the portal, I bet some team breaks through and does it. Someone who isn't considered a blue blood. It may not be UK, but I bet at some point someone will put together a good enough team to do it. A couple years ago TCU made it. They got destroyed, but I believe it will be done eventually.

Yep, Oregon is that, even if they're off to a shaky start this year. Washington. Nebraska was and may be again someday. Wisconsin, Iowa, and even a team in North Dakota has been good enough to probably beat us more years than not, recently. Boise St. has also managed better teams than we have quite often. Idaho is no recruiting hotbed.

 

[TNCatfanforever]

They were above average seasons but who in the SEC did they beat?

That’s the point

 

[tf4fun]

You never achieve excellence, when you are satisfied with average.
With the right coach we can field a great team.
But you have to pursue the best across the board. And that starts with the HC.

 

[K_TIME]

They were above average seasons but who in the SEC did they beat?

They beat top 10 Pen st
They beat Florida in swamp
They demolish ranked Miss st
They beat ranked Iowa


I get the last game and I the past two seasons are going wrong direction…but to crap on great years of past out of current frustration is silly

 

[WildcatofNati2]

They beat top 10 Pen st
They beat Florida in swamp
They demolish ranked Miss st
They beat ranked Iowa


I get the last game and I the past two seasons are going wrong direction…but to crap on great years of past out of current frustration is silly

No doubt. 2018 and 2021 were the best years as UK fan that I'm old enough to remember and actually every year from 2016 on at least had some positives and were better than normal UK football seasons. Unfortunately, yesterday suggests that things are going back to normal, and normal isn't good for UK football.

 

[gojvc]

They were above average seasons but who in the SEC did they beat?

In 2018 they beat Florida at the swamp who finished the season ranked 6th/7th.

 

[SkyPrince1]

They beat top 10 Pen st
They beat Florida in swamp
They demolish ranked Miss st
They beat ranked Iowa


I get the last game and I the past two seasons are going wrong direction…but to crap on great years of past out of current frustration is silly

They were great years historicaly for UK football but where was our overall finish in the SEC?
Did we get as high as 5th or 6th those seasons?
I think we cracked the top 25 final polls both seasons.
It's possible to have an outlier season at UK once a decade but with the SEC expanded, a top half finish and cracking the top 25 final polls is probably going to be the pinnacle of UK football going forward.

 

[Bluesbrother]

The state doesn’t produce enough quality D-1 players and we are located the middle. Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame Penn State control Ohio Michigan Indiana and Pennsylvania. Tennessee produces several D-1 players and all dream of playing for UT or UGA or Bama. UNC, NCSU, Duke, and even Tn gobble up the talent in North Carolina. Clemson and USC jr own South Carolina. Georgia belongs to Georgia Tennessee. Florida belongs to FSU, Miami, Florida. Alabama belongs to Bama and Auburn. Mississippi is owned by Ole Miss and State U. Etc Etc.
You see the problem. We are like most mid majors we eat leftovers. About 15 teams dominate college football and Kentucky isn’t one and never will be because we have no tradition and there isn’t enough home grown talent. UK basketball is a power because of Rupp and tradition and the state has always produced talented players even though Cal wouldn’t recognize them. Calipari was right though…UK always has been and always will be a basketball school.

Start with a the right AD who hires the right coach and everything you mention, although valid, becomes much less relevant. To ACCEPT the notion that what you say is correct is throwing in the towel. UK's problems start with the President, BOT, and the AD. We have always sucked in football because of what I mention. These three entities working together have never hired a quality coach in football, save Bear Bryant who they ran off. The rest have ALWAYS been terrible hires ... every one of them, including Stoops. All bad to mediocre hires and evidenced is in the results. To say that it can't be fixed is just wrong, IMO. It will take dedication and smarts. Smarts we don't have right now, which is why you need a new AD first.

 

[SkyPrince1]

Start with a the right AD who hires the right coach and everything you mention, although valid, becomes much less relevant. To ACCEPT the notion that what you say is correct is throwing in the towel. UK's problems start with the President, BOT, and the AD. We have always sucked in football because of what I mention. These three entities working together have never hired a quality coach in football, save Bear Bryant who they ran off. The rest have ALWAYS been terrible hires ... every one of them, including Stoops. All bad to mediocre hires and evidence is in the results. To say that it can't be fixed is just wrong, IMO. It will take dedication and smarts. Smarts we don't have which is why you need a new AD first.

So how long would a young Lincoln Riley if hired stay at UK?
Kiffen bailed on UT after 1 season.
You can't get a Saban/ Meyer level coach to stay at UK.

 

[mrschwump]

Might as well shut the program down and dump the football money into the basketball program...I think that's what some here want anyway.

 

[truebluewildcat]

That's not good enough in the modern era. Maybe eras ago, when it was harder for programs to recruit far and wide, get their brand/name out to talent across the country. Sure, having in state talent before mass 24/7 sports media exposure, before you could fly your staff private or at least first class all over the country to recruit...yeah having talent right in your back yard was nice.

If it was primarily in state talent, then there's a lot of programs who should be better and more consistent. Houston, Baylor, Aggies, SMU, Texas Tech, UCLA, Cal, USF, UCF to name a few. In terms of access to population centers and great talent those programs are in prime real estate.

On the other side of the coin of teams who should be better, there's programs who shouldn't be quite as good as they are. Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State. I'm tired of hearing about "Ohio talent". It's okay, but it's largely overrated and there's not enough to sustain the upper tier of traditional B10 programs over the years. Tennessee and Clemson both punch above their weight in terms of in state talent. Kansas currently and even Missouri can also be added to that list.

 

[SkyPrince1]

That's not good enough in the modern era. Maybe eras ago, when it was harder for programs to recruit far and wide, get their brand/name out to talent across the country. Sure, having in state talent before mass 24/7 sports media exposure, before you could fly your staff private or at least first class all over the country to recruit...yeah having talent right in your back yard was nice.

If it was primarily in state talent, then there's a lot of programs who should be better and more consistent. Houston, Baylor, Aggies, SMU, Texas Tech, UCLA, Cal, USF, UCF to name a few. In terms of access to population centers and great talent those programs are in prime real estate.

On the other side of the coin of teams who should be better, there's programs who shouldn't be quite as good as they are. Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State. I'm tired of hearing about "Ohio talent". It's okay, but it's largely overrated and there's not enough to sustain the upper tier of traditional B10 programs over the years. Tennessee and Clemson both punch above their weight in terms of in state talent. Kansas currently and even Missouri can also be added to that list.

All comes down to the perception/fact that UK is a basketball school.
It's not all about in state talent but top kids nationality don't seek out being a part of UK football.
Donovan McNabb and Antoine Walker attended the same HS in Illinois.
The basketball player went to UK, the football player wouldn't of had UK in his top 25 choices.
It's not only that UK isn't a football school but for years was actually a "bad" football school .

 

[Thecycle27]

The playoff gives everyone a chance. The reality is with the expanded SEC it is even more challenging. It will completely dependent on schedules. Teams are always going to lose a game that wasn’t expected. UT-UGA-Texas-Ole Miss are the top of SEC that is a brutal scheduling and how it fell this year. Then Louisville and Florida both have enough talent to win. The level of talent UK needs to survive each year is crazy.

Expanding the SEC really hurt UK. They really have to luck into an easy schedule at the same time they have a really good team. The schools like UK sacrificed their success to expand.

 

[Sparkaces1]

When you have a potential top ten pick, another potential first round corner and a former top recruit at QB, it’s kinda hard to make the talent argument. Now I have no idea if the O-Line is garbage or if that was caused by injuries, etc. To me that game was a lot more about coaching than talent.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

The playoff gives everyone a chance. The reality is with the expanded SEC it is even more challenging. It will completely dependent on schedules. Teams are always going to lose a game that wasn’t expected. UT-UGA-Texas-Ole Miss are the top of SEC that is a brutal scheduling and how it fell this year. Then Louisville and Florida both have enough talent to win. The level of talent UK needs to survive each year is crazy.

Expanding the SEC really hurt UK. They really have to luck into an easy schedule at the same time they have a really good team. The schools like UK sacrificed their success to expand.

The playoff in no way gives everyone a chance. It gives good programs more flexibility to lose 2 to 3 games. It doesn't do anything for everyone else.

And on 2018 and 2021, those were great UK seasons but neither team would have made a 12 team playoff. I think the OPs point is we won't see those seasons going forward due to NIL issues and expanded sec. I agree with him.

 

[HeismaNole]

The playoff gives everyone a chance. The reality is with the expanded SEC it is even more challenging. It will completely dependent on schedules. Teams are always going to lose a game that wasn’t expected. UT-UGA-Texas-Ole Miss are the top of SEC that is a brutal scheduling and how it fell this year. Then Louisville and Florida both have enough talent to win. The level of talent UK needs to survive each year is crazy.

Expanding the SEC really hurt UK. They really have to luck into an easy schedule at the same time they have a really good team. The schools like UK sacrificed their success to expand.

I don’t think it gives everyone more of a chance. It just gives teams like Bama or LSU the ability to lose three games and make it.

 

[Girthang]

Kentucky has BEEN above average consistently for the last 7 years. They finished in the top half of the SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE several years during that time. To say that they haven't and can't be above average is either a bruised ego, anger over a lost bet, or just plain old disappointment, but it's STILL a LIE.

IF we have another down year (we're only 2 games into the season), it's hardly cause to LIE about the results of the previous 7 years. It's also not a legit reason to tall about firing the head coach. This staff has earned more time and respect than that.

Even if people disagree as to Stoops' ceiling here, we are still world's better than where this program has consistently been situated for decades. It's not an easy place to win 8-9 games, and it's hard work that has gotten us to a consistent 7+ win avg (if we leave put the covid year). Everyone needs to take a step back from the ledge and back the team through the rest of the schedule.

IF the team completely falls apart and mails it in, and we finish with a dismal 4 win season, then we should have serious discussions. It's not doing much good to abandon ship (like our fans do every year with our 1st and 2nd loss) now, unless people just want to help tank the season.

 

[CaptainBoogerBuns]

Might as well shut the program down and dump the football money into the basketball program...I think that's what some here want anyway.

Which is hilarious because basketball barely moves the needle in college sports

If UK wants to mail it in in football—I’m done with sports.period.

 

[ptril]

College Football is about tradition. Once a winning tradition is established, those teams with a tradition of winning are able to get the quality of player to continue the tradition. Highly rated players want to go somewhere they will get great glory, publicity, and maybe a future pro career. I think UK came closer than people realize to becoming a national power like Alabama or Nebraska in the early 1950's.
If only Bear Bryant had stayed at Kentucky for 15-20 years! Kentucky had no basketball tradition when UK hired an obscure high school coach named Adolph Rupp in 1930. In those days, college basketball was an afterthought. College basketball was played in gyms not much bigger than high school gyms, and games were rarely broadcast on the radio. Newspapers published more ink on the local high school basketball teams than college basketball. It took Rupp nearly 20 years, but he made UK a national power that the high school stars wanted to go to. UK upset #1 ranked Oklahoma in football, and was on the verge of creating a national power at UK when Bear Bryant decided to leave the shadow of Adolph Rupp. Had the Bear stayed 20 years, he may have soon created an image of UK as a national power. Remember that only a minority of Alabama football players played high school ball in the state. The Tide recruits from all over the nation. While Kentucky is a poor, rural state, so are Alabama, Nebraska, and Mississippi. It is now too late to establish the Wildcats as a peer of Alabama, but I think it might have happened in the 1950's.

 

[catsfanbgky]

This may be the wrong way to look at it, but using the portal, I would rather land a player who has produced in a smaller conference ( Upgrading, moving up in competition, but has produced), V/S signing a player who "downgraded" by transferring from a bigger school to UK, but has not played or produced any. JMO. Also, we HAVE to grow and develop QB's. Relying on the portal, we have failed other than ONE year with Levis.
On the defensive side, I just feel way play not to lose rather than play aggressive and attack teams, instead we play back on our heels and let the opposing offense dictate pace / flow of the game. The bend but don't break is a losing proposition. We are fairly easy to game plan against and teams know what to do to attack the soft coverage. I would 100% rather lose playing aggressive and trying to make things happen, as opposed to sitting back and hoping a team makes mistakes.

 

[SkyPrince1]

This may be the wrong way to look at it, but using the portal, I would rather land a player who has produced in a smaller conference ( Upgrading, moving up in competition, but has produced), V/S signing a player who "downgraded" by transferring from a bigger school to UK, but has not played or produced any. JMO. Also, we HAVE to grow and develop QB's. Relying on the portal, we have failed other than ONE year with Levis.
On the defensive side, I just feel way play not to lose rather than play aggressive and attack teams, instead we play back on our heels and let the opposing offense dictate pace / flow of the game. The bend but don't break is a losing proposition. We are fairly easy to game plan against and teams know what to do to attack the soft coverage. I would 100% rather lose playing aggressive and trying to make things happen, as opposed to sitting back and hoping a team makes mistakes.

I know Dabo takes a lot of heat for his view on the portal but his basic premise is that he doesn't want to bring in kids who are looking to use Clemson football as a payday.
Idk how much of that is going on at UK but how does Marcus Cox grade out so abysmal is he GAF.

 

[TACcat7]

Those of you that think this is the best we can get 4 to 6 wins…Would you be in favor of shutting the program and not competing then? Because if you are satisfied or have accepted being a loser at something, then why play? Just shut it down and focus on other sports.

Or, play in a venue that only holds 10k people. People in America do not accept, rightfully so, subpar results. So, if you maintain the limit is 6 wins at most, maybe 7, then surely you’d support moving to a 10k seat stadium or shutting down the program.

 

[SkyPrince1]

Those of you that think this is the best we can get 4 to 6 wins…Would you be in favor of shutting the program and not competing then? Because if you are satisfied or have accepted being a loser at something, then why play? Just shut it down and focus on other sports.

Or, play in a venue that only holds 10k people. People in America do not accept, rightfully so, subpar results. So, if you maintain the limit is 6 wins at most, maybe 7, then surely you’d support moving to a 10k seat stadium or shutting down the program.

The problem is you have 15 other programs in this conference busting ass trying to win all they can.
You can't have 16 programs all winning 8,9,10 games a year.
UK is a basketball centric school is a heavily football centric conference.
There is no level of dedication, fan support, financial support that our conference brothers won't go to.
The notion that UK is stuck being a 7-5 program because " we don't want it bad enough" is a fallicy.

 

[Rockfly78]

So how did UK have 2 10 win Citrus bowl seasons in 2018 and 2021? Were those not above average seasons?

I’m afraid we caught lightning in a bottle.

 

[HeismaNole]

Kentucky will never have success like we want. We don't have the money or the notoriety to compete with the traditional football powers in recruiting/NIL it seems. A win over the traditional powers usually requires our best year and their worst and we've seen their coaches get fired after losing to us (LSU and Tennessee).

I also don't think you're moving the needle without having a very offensive-minded coach.

 

[backinky2018]

This post would make sense after we lose to Georgia. It does not make sense after losing to South Carolina.

I think it's unrealistic to expect UK to win national titles in football. There are just so many obstacles within our own league that makes that a very long putt.

However, I don't think making a 12 team playoff (or 16 when it eventually expands) is unrealistic. We would have been right on the cusp in 2018 and 2021.

UK has resources. We don't have the checkbook of a Texas or a Georgia, but we have resources. It will take the right coach and the right administration but making the playoff is possible here. Your listed recruiting obstacles aren't completely wrong, but I would argue that UK could employ the baseball strategy in football. Kids want to play in the SEC. UK baseball (and UL baseball before it) routinely goes north to Illinois and Wisconsin and Michigan to get players to play at the northernmost SEC school. UK football can get enough talent to do this in football (I would argue that we are already doing this, though perhaps not well enough).

I'm not sure that the issue with this team is talent. I see more SEC caliber talent than we've ever had. It seems that we fail to utilize what we have and fail to put our players in the best position to succeed.

 

[HeismaNole]

So how did UK have 2 10 win Citrus bowl seasons in 2018 and 2021? Were those not above average seasons?

The stars aligned. The 2018 team is the best in my lifetime but they desperately needed a QB. Terry was not good. In reality, that team only should've lost one game all season.

That 2021 team benefitted from a weak SEC schedule. The two best wins were against a pair of 6-7 teams in Florida and LSU. The 10-4 Iowa team was a quality win.

 

[TACcat7]

The problem is you have 15 other programs in this conference busting ass trying to win all they can.
You can't have 16 programs all winning 8,9,10 games a year.
UK is a basketball centric school is a heavily football centric conference.
There is no level of dedication, fan support, financial support that our conference brothers won't go to.
The notion that UK is stuck being a 7-5 program because " we don't want it bad enough" is a fallicy.

It isn’t a fallacy. UK is ranked at the bottom in football spending. It’s a fact. The fallacy is believing you are capped at 6-7 wins annually. It’s actually a losing mentality. So, if that is where you are, do you support shutting the program down? If in most years, you’re lucky to get to an even record, then that is exactly what it is.

I have an alternative method. Spend more money on football, have an AD that is all in on NIL, and is an active and lively member of the community who is a known fund raiser, hire marketing people who know how to generate buzz. You say the problem is that there are 15 other members of the SEC doing the same thing. Again, not true. Kentucky still hasn’t invested the same amount of resources and capital necessary to be on par with other conference members.

Tennessee has been dreadful in athletics for a long time. They hired a new AD who was know to find raise and generate excitement. He’s now hired arguably two of the 3 best coaches in sports in the last 5 years (Huepel and Vitello).

Last point, you mentioned basketball on a football post. I found that funny but not surprising. Since you brought it up, within the last 8 years, the SEC members started to heavily invest in their basketball programs with money, upgrading facilities, and hiring good coaches. The result, a much more competitive league. This has directly attributed to UK no longer dominating. See how that works? My question still stands, so you favor shutting the program down?

 

[m080470]

I can't tell you how much I hate the "we can't compete in the SEC" mantra. We are roughly equal to or superior to in talent and NIL than 9 sometimes 10 teams on our schedule in any given year. This year Georgia, Texas and Tennessee are WAY ahead in terms of NIL and/or talent, OM slightly ahead, everybody else, no. Some years the stars align because of scheduling, a little luck, the right personnel with the right coach's.

There was no excuse for happened Saturday. This narrative of just focus on basketball is so stupid when it's football paying the bills, even at UK. Basketball has always gotten all it needs, even with Cal's BS of demanding his new practice facility now, instead of patiently waiting for their turn. Much like with the football team now, the lack of performance in basketball had nothing to do with not having the newest facility. It does have everything to do with who is in charge.

I like Mark Stoops but I think the time has come to part ways. I do not think he enjoys this job. He thinks he's better than us, that he deserved the A&M job. There's been too many slights piling up the last two or 3 years when as fans and the players too, deserve better than what we have gotten. I want people who want to be here. It was humiliating to bring back Wolford between his sorry coaching and then you throw in the blatant disloyalty. We pay Stoops like he's a Top 10 coach and realistically I want Top 30 results. Go get Sumrall, bring someone who wants to be here.

 

[Fadhi]

In 2018 they beat Florida at the swamp who finished the season ranked 6th/7th.

I like Stoops but a resume of beating one good SEC team in 2018 since he's been here is not the greatest.

 

[Rockfly78]

I like Stoops but a resume of beating one good SEC team in 2018 since he's been here is not the greatest.

His resume will be impressive because he dragged an absolutely dreadful program out of the muck and cleaned it off. Make no mistake, Stoops is owed his flowers for what he has done here. 8 straight bowl appearances is unheard of at Kentucky. History has shown that. Top 25 recruiting classes and winning streaks against Florida and Louisville are all things that no other coach even came close to accomplishing.

He needs to get shit fixed and quick. I believe he is better than this.

 

[SkyPrince1]

It isn’t a fallacy. UK is ranked at the bottom in football spending. It’s a fact. The fallacy is believing you are capped at 6-7 wins annually. It’s actually a losing mentality. So, if that is where you are, do you support shutting the program down? If in most years, you’re lucky to get to an even record, then that is exactly what it is.

I have an alternative method. Spend more money on football, have an AD that is all in on NIL, and is an active and lively member of the community who is a known fund raiser, hire marketing people who know how to generate buzz. You say the problem is that there are 15 other members of the SEC doing the same thing. Again, not true. Kentucky still hasn’t invested the same amount of resources and capital necessary to be on par with other conference members.

Tennessee has been dreadful in athletics for a long time. They hired a new AD who was know to find raise and generate excitement. He’s now hired arguably two of the 3 best coaches in sports in the last 5 years (Huepel and Vitello).

Last point, you mentioned basketball on a football post. I found that funny but not surprising. Since you brought it up, within the last 8 years, the SEC members started to heavily invest in their basketball programs with money, upgrading facilities, and hiring good coaches. The result, a much more competitive league. This has directly attributed to UK no longer dominating. See how that works? My question still stands, so you favor shutting the program down?

Spending more money doesn't make you a national brand, it take years and years of winning to do that.
If you are a national brand you can overcome the lack of home grown talent like the basketball program does.
Not as easy for football.
No one dreams of playing for UK football unless they were born here.
I'm sure our football spending is in the bottom 1/3rd of the league but I don't believe the money is available like it is at the top of the SEC.
You will never get majority support for backing off funding for basketball, as it's the school athletic identity.
As far as portal spending, it's always going to be hit and miss.
UK will overpay for players because they are more desperate than the traditional powers which is probably what they did with Brock because he had five stars next to his name in HS.