'They bought some pretty good players': Kentucky's Mark Stoops on NIL after Georgia loss
The 2023 matchup between Georgia and previously undefeated Kentucky didn't have quite the same pomp and circumstance of 2021's October meeting. Nor did it end up as closely contested as their 2022 game.
But it still felt like the Wildcats had one of the best shots to trip up the Bulldogs following their Week 5 scare against Auburn. Instead, Kentucky found itself dominated by Georgia in a 51-13 loss that saw myriad mistakes from the Wildcats, including five penalties for 60 yards and just two conversions on 11 third down attempts.
It was the 14th consecutive win for Georgia in the SEC East series and Georgia's 23rd straight win overall, its last loss coming against Alabama in the 2021 SEC championship game. Kentucky coach Mark Stoops defended the Wildcats roster, saying name, image and likeness – which became prevalent in 2021 – is one of the primary causes of Georgia's dominance.
Indeed, Stoops put out a plea for help for Kentucky football, saying the lack of NIL funding is why there's a gap between the Bulldogs and Wildcats. From his appearance on the Monday episode of the "UK HealthCare Mark Stoops Show":
"The other side, if you wanna do that, it's complain, deny, or make excuses," Stoops said. "And we're not gonna do that. You know? It is what it is. And fans have that right. I give it to 'em. I just encourage them to donate more. Cause that's what those teams are doing. I can promise you in Georgia, they bought some pretty good players, you're allowed to these days.
"And uh, we could use some help. That's what they look like, you know what I mean? When you have 85 of them (scholarship players). So I encourage anyone that's disgruntled to pony up some more."
NIL has been a fascinating topic in Lexington. Men's basketball coach John Calipari and softball coach Rachel Lawson accompanied athletic director Mitch Barnhart earlier this year to meet with the Kentucky congressional delegation about NIL as the school continues to try to navigate waters that are muddier than they've ever been.
Calipari, an outspoken proponent of NIL before it was passed, said in June he is going to embrace the collective approach many other schools have taken as Kentucky basketball has lagged. This comes less than a year after saying he would not take a collective approach. That may have input on Stoops' approach as well.
Stoops' call is specifically going out to The 15 Club, the main Kentucky collective, which is reliant upon fan donations. Per its website:
"The 15 Club was created to provide opportunities for all Kentucky fans to contribute and engage with the athletes they passionately support through various NIL activities."
Stoops' Wildcats have come a long way from where the football program was. But under Stoops, Kentucky has beaten just two SEC teams who finished over .500 in the conference. Even if eight or nine-win seasons are a step up for Kentucky's football program, fans undoubtedly want to start seeing some signature wins on the resume as well.
Stoops' rallying cry is an interesting approach. Ultimately, however, there are no easy answers when it comes to catching up with what Kirby Smart has built in Athens.