Kentucky Coach Talks Passionately About Adapting To NIL, Fundraising Sports Illustrated
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Kentuckyfootballisn’tthecrownjeweloftheSEC.But,undercoachMarkStoopsit’sbeenconsistentlysuccessful.
He’shadsevenstraightwinningseasonsinnon-COVIDyears(theWildcatswent5-6inthe2020season).Ataschoolthatisbasketballcrazy,hisconsistentsuccessis,inasense,jobsecurity.
Butthatdoesn’tmeanhe’scoasting,especiallywhenitcomestotheName,ImageandLikenessspace.
Thesedaysitisn’tjustNIL.It’sthetransferportal.It’sthecomingofrevenuesharingwithplayers,thatcouldstartassoonasfallof2025.
ThereisalotforStoopstodealwithwhenitcomestothestuffthatdoesn’tinvolvefootball.But,inthisera,hetoldKSRthathe’slearnedit’saboutadaptation.
“Youeitherexist,youeitherexit,oryouexplorenewwaystobeinnovativeandmakethebestofit.Iwanttoliveinthatworldofexploringthebestway,”Stoopssaid.
Fund-raisingisn’talwaysanaturalthingforcoacheslikeStoops,whowouldratherturntheirattentiontowhat’shappeningonthefield.Butonethinghe’smadep