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

[RunninRichie]

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.

we are located the middle.

Top of the south. Our advantage is we can promise midwestern recruits a chance to play in the SEC without being too far from home.

 

[Eccain01]

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.

I think 2018 actually would’ve made it lol think they finished at 12

 

[CaptainBoogerBuns]

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.

No one said to back off funding for basketball. Just spend more on football. Football should be outspending basketball anyway.

 

[Cold Stout Beer]

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.

I see where many have called you a Vanderbilt fan in the past. This post seems to confirm it. Were you salivating at the thought of being able to write this dog sh*t post ?

 

[CaptainBoogerBuns]

Told you guys as soon as UK lost, the Raftards would come here in droves

 

[HagginHall1999]

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.

You are correct, 100%. Calipari should have never vocalized it, but UK is and always will be a basketball school.

I'm not sure why this is so difficult for folks to understand. Also, everything you said about the recruiting and location, etc is 100% accurate. Our fans don't want to admit it, but it is true.

All that said, Stoops probably needs to move on. Much like Cal, it has gotten stale and I think the issue is he (Stoops) set a bar that he simply cannot achieve here on a regular basis (10 wins). To be clear, I'm not saying Cal set a bar...he didn't, UKMBB is a different beast, unlike football.

 

[CaptainBoogerBuns]

You are correct, 100%. Calipari should have never vocalized it, but UK is and always will be a basketball school.

I'm not sure why this is so difficult for folks to understand. Also, everything you said about the recruiting and location, etc is 100% accurate. Our fans don't want to admit it, but it is true.

All that said, Stoops probably needs to move on. Much like Cal, it has gotten stale and I think the issue is he (Stoops) set a bar that he simply cannot achieve here on a regular basis (10 wins). To be clear, I'm not saying Cal set a bar...he didn't, UKMBB is a different beast, unlike football.

Being known as a “basketball school” isn’t exactly a compliment. It’s just a source of laughter for SEC fans. I don’t know why THIS is so difficult to understand.

Basketball is an afterthought. Like it or not it’s true. Accepting were just a basketball school and being fine with it is accepting mediocrity.

 

[SkyPrince1]

Being known as a “basketball school” isn’t exactly a compliment. It’s just a source of laughter for SEC fans. I don’t know why THIS is so difficult to understand.

Basketball is an afterthought. Like it or not it’s true. Accepting were just a basketball school and being fine with it is accepting mediocrity.

You're not defined by what other SEC schools think of you, you are defined by what you are successful at.
At UK that's basketball.
It's not like they are going to kick us out of the conference.
Arkansas, South Carolina, Ole Miss and Texas A&M all claim to be football schools but what has any of them accomplished nationally?
I'll take our 8 Natty's in basketball over all of the before mentioned schools combined accomplishments in football.

 

[HagginHall1999]

Being known as a “basketball school” isn’t exactly a compliment. It’s just a source of laughter for SEC fans. I don’t know why THIS is so difficult to understand.

Basketball is an afterthought. Like it or not it’s true. Accepting were just a basketball school and being fine with it is accepting mediocrity.

Ok, if you want to hop in your Delorian and go fix it you can. You are acting like basketball is some 3rd world sport. Basketball is far from an afterthought. It may be to you, but not the majority of people.

Your comparison would be the equivalent of me saying what the majority of the world thinks about soccer vs. NFL.