2025-08-01- KSR - Hour 1

Summary

Podcast Summary: KSR - Hour 1 (August 1, 2025)

Released on August 1, 2025, "KSR" is a daily sports talk podcast hosted by Matt Jones alongside the KSR crew from iHeartPodcasts and Sports Talk 790 (WKRD-AM). In this episode, recorded live from the UK Football Media Day in Lexington, Kentucky, Matt Jones engages with key figures in UK athletics, including head coach Mark Stoops and athletic director Mitch Barnhart. The discussion revolves around team updates, infrastructure developments, financial allocations, and the broader landscape of college sports.

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1. Opening Remarks and Event Overview

Matt Jones kicks off the episode by welcoming listeners to Kentucky Sports Radio, setting the scene at the UK Football Media Day:

• Matt Jones (01:05): "Welcome everyone. It is Kentucky Sports Radio Friday, August 1st. I'm Matt Jones here at UK Football Media Day in Lexington, Kentucky. An overcast day, but a day where we will have lots of guests on for throughout the two hours."

He briefly mentions the absence of significant non-sports content, emphasizing the focus on UK football.

2. First Impressions of UK Football Team

Matt and his co-hosts discuss their initial observations of the UK football team, noting the influx of new players and the expanded roster.

• Matt Jones (03:21): "So first impressions? Number one, Ryan, I don't know these people. I was looking around and I'm like, I don't recognize any of these players."

• Ryan Lemond (03:49): "Over 50 new players. I pointed out, trying to find Zach Calzada. First time I've ever seen him in person."

The conversation highlights the significant changes in the team's lineup, attributing it to scholarship increases and expansion of the roster to 120 players.

3. Infrastructure and Facility Upgrades

A substantial portion of the discussion centers on the planned upgrades to Kroger Field, including financial allocations and the delayed implementation of Wi-Fi services.

• Matt Jones (06:00): "So, Shannon, you should see this person. He's the... He looks like the Empire State Building."

• Mark Stoops (06:54): "Yeah, you could."

• Matt Jones (06:56): "I mean, they're gonna build a tunnel from the Nashville airport to downtown Nashville in six years."

Matt expresses skepticism over the timeline for Wi-Fi upgrades, while Drew Franklin (04:36) and Ryan Lemond (06:28) share their perspectives on the issue.

4. Financial Transparency and Revenue Sharing

A critical segment of the episode delves into the university's financial dealings, particularly concerning the confidentiality of revenue shares allocated to different sports programs.

• Matt Jones (06:43): "Mitch says we can't do it because our opponents won't do it. I mean, okay, but I can't believe our opponents don't have to do it either."

Matt voices concern over the lack of transparency in financial allocations, questioning how a public university can justify withholding such information.

• Matt Jones (08:43): "He did say what we were gonna have Wi fi, but in five years."

The hosts debate the implications of hiding revenue allocations, emphasizing the public university's responsibility to maintain financial openness.

5. Interview with Head Coach Mark Stoops

Mark Stoops joins the podcast for an in-depth interview, addressing team performance, recruiting, and personal updates.

Team Performance and Roster Changes

• Mark Stoops (11:34): "We had to get better up front, right? I mean, that's quite obvious."

Stoops discusses the strategic improvements in the offensive and defensive lines, highlighting the addition of new, stronger players.

Leadership and Discipline

• Mark Stoops (14:20): "There are definitely great leaders on this team."

He acknowledges past shortcomings in team discipline but emphasizes the current presence of strong leadership and a renewed focus on excellence.

Challenging Schedule and Future Prospects

• Mark Stoops (15:13): "Without a doubt... it's like, it is what it is, you know."

Stoops reflects on the demanding schedule ahead and expresses optimism about the team's preparedness to face upcoming challenges.

Personal Health and Motivation

• Mark Stoops (16:03): "I had to have my ankle replaced and I just... I feel a thousand times better."

He shares personal health updates and underscores his sustained motivation and competitive spirit despite past setbacks.

Handling Criticism and Program Sustainability

• Mark Stoops (20:57): "I accept it. I mean, like, listen... I have pride in what we do in our team, and that wasn't good enough."

Stoops candidly addresses criticisms of the program, reaffirming his commitment to improvement and the team's long-term success.

6. Interview with Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart

Mitch Barnhart provides insights into the administrative challenges facing UK athletics, particularly in light of recent legal settlements and financial constraints.

Navigating Legal and Financial Challenges

• Mitch Barnhart: Discusses the complexity of college athletics governance, including interactions with the NCAA and legislative bodies. He underscores the importance of maintaining stability amidst evolving regulations.

Resource Allocation and Program Support

• Shannon The Dude (26:26): "And so we're going to be involved. We're going to be at the maximum we can be okay to support our programs and not be disadvantaged."

Barnhart elaborates on the financial adjustments necessitated by the settlement, emphasizing strategic allocation of resources to sustain athletic programs without compromising competitiveness.

Transparency and Competitive Edge

• Shannon The Dude (35:50): "What part of the legal pieces and all that... It's really competitive for us."

He addresses concerns about financial transparency, balancing competitive advantages with student privacy rights and institutional priorities.

Future of College Athletics and Institutional Priorities

• Shannon The Dude (39:56): "We've got to find a way to ensure there's a pathway. It's too important for us as an institution..."

Barnhart speaks to the broader implications of college sports on the community and economy, advocating for sustainable practices that uphold the institution's reputation and community impact.

7. Hosts' Reflections on Interviews

Post-interviews, Matt Jones and his co-hosts discuss their impressions of Stoops and Barnhart, commending their transparency and candidness.

• Matt Jones (42:53): "Mitch has been a great athletic director... he was very candid."

• Ryan Lemond (43:00): "Very open, very candid, very straightforward."

Their positive reflections highlight the significance of genuine communication in addressing fan concerns and maintaining trust.

8. Conclusion and Upcoming Segments

Matt wraps up the episode by transitioning to player-focused discussions and teasing upcoming segments featuring players like Zach Calzada, Pete, and Bush Hampden.

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Notable Quotes:

• Matt Jones (06:36): "We are going to have WI fi in our brains before they have it at Kroger."

• Mark Stoops (14:20): "There are definitely great leaders on this team."

• Shannon The Dude (35:50): "Each institution has to make choices. What is important for one school might not be as important for another."

• Mark Stoops (20:57): "I feel, you know, when I say that, it's not just me saying that. I feel for the way we played and everything."

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Key Takeaways:

• Team Evolution: UK football is undergoing significant changes with a large influx of new players, aiming to strengthen both offensive and defensive lines.

• Infrastructure Development: Planned upgrades to Kroger Field involve substantial financial investments, with debates surrounding the timeline and implementation of Wi-Fi services.

• Financial Transparency: Concerns were raised about the lack of clarity in revenue sharing among sports programs, highlighting the tension between competitive advantage and public accountability.

• Leadership and Strategy: Head Coach Mark Stoops and Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart exhibit strong leadership, addressing past challenges and outlining strategic plans for future success.

• College Sports Landscape: The episode underscores the complexities of navigating college athletics amidst regulatory changes, financial constraints, and the need for institutional resilience.

This episode of "KSR" offers listeners an in-depth look into the current state and future direction of UK athletics, providing valuable insights from key stakeholders committed to fostering a competitive and transparent sports environment.

Transcript

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[Matt Jones]

Comedy Off Broadway in Lexington welcomes Jeff Allen and his clean comedy show July 31st through August 2nd. Then from Kill Tony and Bad Friends, catch Jesse jet ski Johnson August 7th through the 9th. And don't miss Lexington favorite Ms. Pat August 15th and 16th. Her shows are sure to sell out. For tickets to all comedy off Broadway shows, call 859-271-Joke or visit comedyoffbroadway.com Comedy.

[Shannon The Dude]

Off Broadway this is Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage. Now here's Matt Jones.

[Matt Jones]

Welcome everyone. It is Kentucky Sports Radio Friday, August 1st. I'm Matt Jones here at UK Football Media Day in Lexington, Kentucky. An overcast day, but a day where we will have lots of guests on for throughout the two hours. If you're a UK sports fan, this is not gonna be a whole lot of non sports today. Maybe a little bit. But this is a UK football day. Clark's pop and shop phone lines 859-280-2287. A Vision Auto Glass text machine is 772-774-5254 and this edition sponsored by the TJ Smith Law Office called TJ He'll Make Them Pay. UK football media day. I missed this last year.

[Ryan Lemond]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

So I haven't been in this stadium. I didn't go to a home game last year. I watched them at home. So I haven't been in the stadium in like two years. And kind of nice to be back. It's, it's. The players are out on the field. I don't know any of them but it's good to see them. And we are going to have a big day. We will have Mark Stoops, Zach Calzada, Aiden Laros. What's the big guy's name? We're going to Pete.

[Shannon The Dude]

She has Pete.

[Matt Jones]

She has Pete. Largest human that has ever walked the earth.

[Ryan Lemond]

He's a monster.

[Matt Jones]

I mean that's the biggest person. Dionne Walker's like, okay, dude, leave me alone. And. And then Bush hammed it.

[Ryan Lemond]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

And I've asked for Mitch Barnhart and have not gotten An An. So we'll see about that, guys. Nice to be out here again, isn't it?

[Ryan Lemond]

There's a feeling that you get when you walk into the stadium like this that you just. Like it excites you. This is Mario's first ever time on the field. On this field, he was walking like he walked into a candy store.

[Matt Jones]

Did you not bring him last year?

[Drew Franklin]

Ron wasn't here last year.

[Ryan Lemond]

I wasn't here last year.

[Matt Jones]

Oh, okay.

[Shannon The Dude]

Where were you?

[Drew Franklin]

You all break the don't leave at the same time rule?

[Matt Jones]

Where'd you go?

[Ryan Lemond]

I had a medical thing that day, okay?

[Matt Jones]

Oh, yeah. All right. Well, I hope you're okay.

[Drew Franklin]

I got trouble last year for talking to Stoops.

[Matt Jones]

You got in trouble?

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah. He came up, pulled out the chair while I was on the air, said, you want to talk? And I said, of course, but I didn't go through the proper channels.

[Matt Jones]

Go through proper channels. You got it. And you didn't do that. What a rebel. Well, we are here. Listen, I would normally start with that insane Reds game yesterday, but I'm not going to do it, because since we're at football, maybe I'll bring it up later. But, Shannon, I will say when I give you tickets. Craziest games in the world, right?

[Mark Stoops]

Yeah.

[Shannon The Dude]

I mean, the. The cycle that Ellie hit a couple years ago, and then last night, that was the wildest game.

[Matt Jones]

Unbelievable. Shannon. If Shannon is in the ballpark, expect insane things to happen. But we are here. All right? So first impressions. We're gonna. We're gonna actually probably break early so that we can have stoops as much as possible. Early impressions? Number one, Ryan, I don't know these people. I was looking around and I'm like, I don't recognize any of these players. But that makes sense. It's an. It's a new team, ryan.

[Ryan Lemond]

Yeah. Over 50 new players. I pointed out, trying to find Zach Calzada. First time I've ever seen him in person. Number five, I saw Quesenberry, the kid from Boyle County. He was out here a while ago. So I see some familiar names, familiar faces, but most of the guys, I'm like you, no idea who they are.

[Matt Jones]

And even when I look at this roster, first of all, a lot of people you're seeing, the expansion of the rosters due to the scholarship increase. 120 people on the roster. So there's a lot of people on here where it's like, whoa, that's a lot. That's just a ton of human beings on the team.

[Drew Franklin]

It is a Lot of them out here. I came to the whatever they called it a few weeks ago where they just played without to end touch and they're leaving people here whatever it was. So I've seen them in person but haven't been able to do many interviews or haven't heard a lot of stoops. A lot of the stuff gets scheduled while we're on the air. So I'm excited.

[Matt Jones]

Barnard is talking right now. I'll get to that in just a second. The other, the second biggest thing is how big the Pete guys. Where did they find that person?

[Drew Franklin]

New Mexico.

[Matt Jones]

He's our offensive lineman.

[Ryan Lemond]

Right left tackle.

[Drew Franklin]

Going to be good.

[Matt Jones]

First of all, Shannon, you should see this person. He's the. He looks like the Empire State Building.

[Shannon The Dude]

Bigger than Kadeem at ovw.

[Matt Jones]

Well, not as wide as Kadeem, but maybe taller. Wow. I mean I think he's taller than he. Dion Walker might be a little bigger but this dude's taller than him, isn't he?

[Drew Franklin]

It's close. I think he's listed at 6, 8, 6 7. I wish Dion were on this team so we could just get them side by side.

[Matt Jones]

Dude, can you imagine if they lined up against each other? Good night. I mean that. Have you ever seen a bigger offensive line? I mean I've seen again I've seen fatter offensive linemen but I've never. I don't think I've ever seen as tall and big a dude.

[Ryan Lemond]

You're right. He's he walking across the field. He didn't look like he had any fat on him. He's a well built strong guy walking across the field while ago.

[Matt Jones]

That's a big dude. What, what we'll do is I'll stand next to him and you'll get a sense. That's a good idea. He's cuz he's going to over. He's going to tower over me.

[Drew Franklin]

I think we need Ryan with a.

[Matt Jones]

Picture with him too. Well, but Ryan's just going to look like a little baby with him.

[Shannon The Dude]

He's listed on the official site. 683-22-683.

[Matt Jones]

Well, I could say he's all that and then some. He's not short, dark and handsome.

[Ryan Lemond]

He is. He is tall and he's legit. Supposed to be really really good. He's not just a big guy. Dude's NFL potential.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. So he'll be over here later. Mitch is talking right now there. It's happening right behind us but we can't hear it so I'm giving you the updates. As they get sent to me, here are the updates that we've had so far. $36 million will be spent on Kroger field upgrades. 15 million on general upgrades, 21 million on the suites. I guess that's just kind of life nowadays. He did say what we were gonna have WI fi, but in five years.

[Drew Franklin]

WI fi will be here soon.

[Matt Jones]

I feel like he's been talking about WI fi for a decade and like, five years.

[Drew Franklin]

I think eventually we'll just have WI fi everywhere on the planet.

[Matt Jones]

We're gonna have WI fi in our brains before they have it at Kroger.

[Shannon The Dude]

So long do they have to bring it overseas?

[Matt Jones]

Why does it take five years? I feel like in five years you could stadium.

[Mark Stoops]

Yeah, you could.

[Drew Franklin]

Elon could have that up in an hour.

[Matt Jones]

I mean, they're gonna build a tunnel from the Nashville airport to downtown Nashville in six years.

[Ryan Lemond]

I don't understand it. Any business you build, they install WI fi as they build the building.

[Matt Jones]

I was able to call Spectrum and I had it that afternoon.

[Ryan Lemond]

There we go. You know, I remember Dwayne Peevey having his conversation with us when Dwayne was here. They were going to redo wi fi long time ago.

[Matt Jones]

I remember in 2003, the dial up that they were talking about Netscape.

[Shannon The Dude]

I remember they got mad.

[Drew Franklin]

Frank Hersey was always on the phone so they couldn't get on the Internet. And they were talking about it back then.

[Matt Jones]

All right, so I guess it'll be that long. He also, I think the big news from what I've seen him say so far is that they're not going to release the Rev share for Sport to Sport. He said he was going to keep that private. You know, I'm not going to spend today ranting about this, but I've given you my opinion. I don't know how a public university can do that. I don't know. Public University can spend $20.6 million of money and people don't see where it is. Someone would have to explain to me what the exception is, because we know what every coach makes. You can go on there. You can see what every professor makes, what every janitor makes. You can see you can find online every dollar that this university spends. And maybe there's an argument for not saying how much you're giving each athlete for privacy reasons. I can respect that. But not even saying what sport it goes to. I mean, literally, they have to say, when they build a building, they have to tell the public what they've spent on each aspect of the building. They have to say what contractor got what money. They have to say all that. I don't know how they can hide what they're spending on each sport. And Mitch says we can't do it because our opponents won't do it. I mean, okay, but I can't believe our opponents don't have to do it either. That's going to get challenged in court and I will be shocked if that gets upheld. That they can do that.

[Ryan Lemond]

Well, you said it to me. Just a guy looking in. So they're hiding something. Okay. Why are you hiding?

[Matt Jones]

Well, I don't think I believe him when he says he doesn't want the opponents to know, but I just don't know how you can do that. Sorry. I see Mark Stoops coming right now. We, we have a hard break at 10:30. Why don't I take the break now and that way we can have the full time with you. Is that all right? All right, we will take the break now. We will come back with Mark Stoops right now after this.

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[Matt Jones]

Welcome back, Techie Sports Radio. Alright, I have Mark Stoops. We have him for 15 minutes. I got a lot I want to get to. Let's start with this, though. You doing okay? I'm doing great. You know, you had the procedure.

[Ryan Lemond]

Everything all right?

[Mark Stoops]

Doing great. Yep.

[Matt Jones]

Good. Wearing sunglasses makes you look like, you know, a badass.

[Mark Stoops]

If you think I look bad, you see the other guy.

[Ryan Lemond]

That's the answer.

[Matt Jones]

That's the answer. All right, so tell me about the team. There's 50 new guys, so it's like we don't know. A lot of the guys tell people in the best, shortest way possible, strengths and things you got to see get better over the next four weeks.

[Mark Stoops]

Well, I mean, I think you've heard me talk a lot this summer. I'll try to be relatively quick. You know, for me, we had to get better up front, right? I mean, that's quite obvious. You really can't do anything if you don't, you know, have the guys up front. So I think it started with the offensive line. I feel like we got a bunch of new guys there, you know, much stronger, much more depth. Same with the defensive line. It starts there. I mean, you. You have to be able to protect. You have to be able to run the ball a little bit, have the balance you're looking for. So I'm excited about this depth.

[Matt Jones]

We've heard. I'd heard from people, they felt like the starter group was good. You feel good about the depth as well?

[Mark Stoops]

I feel like we got eight guys that could start okay, you know, so, you know, nine and 10, we're working on eight guys.

[Matt Jones]

I saw the dude from New Mexico. That's the biggest person I've ever seen.

[Mark Stoops]

Yeah, he's a. He's a big dude. And you. You need to have him on.

[Matt Jones]

He's coming on.

[Mark Stoops]

He's good. He's an interesting guy. He's. He's awesome to talk to. He's a great interview. He's very deep. You know, you guys will have some good conversations.

[Matt Jones]

Is there a position where you go, this is one. I gotta see guys step up. I want to make sure we get where we need to be.

[Mark Stoops]

Well, you know, I mentioned the O line already. I think that goes without. And same with the D line. I think it's fair to say that our receivers have to be consistent and have to step up.

[Matt Jones]

You got like seven or eight guys that I could see playing. Is it really just like a competition?

[Mark Stoops]

It is that it's definitely by committee, and we will see, you know, who. Who steps up. I mean, you know, so, you know, obviously J. Mac jmori has produced, you know, and really had a good finish to the season. Hopefully he'll carry that forward, you know, so, you know, Fred is a guy, you know, hardly coming back is a guy. Kendrick Law, you know, is one that we need to step up and be a player for us. He's very strong, so, you know, we need him to be a ball player.

[Matt Jones]

Looks to me like your running backs could be a strength.

[Mark Stoops]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

Do you feel that way?

[Mark Stoops]

Yeah, without a doubt. Definitely. Again, a position that we needed to get better from a year ago. I definitely feel like we've done that. We got the size that we're looking for.

[Matt Jones]

Tell them about the two guys that came in.

[Mark Stoops]

Well, Seth is a guy that I think is McGowan. Yeah, he's just dynamic. He's really good out of the backfield. He's a complete back. He's a game changer, I think. He's, you know, he's a prospect, you know, so he's a very good complete player. And Dante's the big, physical guy that we've been looking for.

[Matt Jones]

Yes, from Nebraska.

[Mark Stoops]

Right, Exactly.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah.

[Mark Stoops]

You know, we wanted that a year ago with Chip, and unfortunately for him, he was injured a lot, you know, but. But Dante's the big, strong running back you've had over the ones we've had over the years.

[Matt Jones]

You. I think we've talked during the off season about last year, you know, discipline and some of that were things. Who are the leaders of this team? Who are the guys that sort of. Because I've heard that is significantly better this year.

[Mark Stoops]

It is. And I think, you know, we've had to address it, you know, as I've mentioned over and over again, you know, we definitely fell short. It wasn't an area where I'd like it to be stated like it was the major problem. The major problem was we weren't good enough.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah.

[Mark Stoops]

You know, that's the bottom line. We weren't good enough. I didn't do a good enough job with the whole team. So we will definitely be better. There's definitely great leaders on this team. You know, you look at Alex Afari, you know, you look at Jordan Lovett, you look at David Gusta, you know, on the offense, there's multiple guys up front. Jagger, Burton, you know, so there. There's, you know, it's tremendously better across the board.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, that. That's. I've heard that as well. So let's talk about you. Look at the schedule. I mean, that is a. It's a brutal schedule. Somebody could say, man, you guys could be a lot better. And it's still hard because the schedule is very difficult. But I would assume that's exciting for the players.

[Mark Stoops]

Without a doubt. And the same with me. It's like, it is what it is, you know, so we just embrace that. You know, I've talked a lot in the off season, but it's true. Like, just embrace this journey. You know, we. We had to hit whatever you want to call it. We had. We had to get better. Right. We had to reset. And I feel like we've done that, you know, does that mean we've arrived or we're there? No, we're. We've got a lot of work to do. But I love this team. And it's not just coach speak. When you love showing up every day and love working with the team, like, that's a good feeling.

[Matt Jones]

I sometimes say I'm just. I mean, I'll say to you what I say when you're not here. I sometimes think I can tell how things are going by how you look. You look better than you've looked in a while. Is that reflective of how.

[Mark Stoops]

I think it's fair. It's definitely fair.

[Matt Jones]

You know, you just look like you have more energy.

[Mark Stoops]

Yeah, I think. I think it's fair. You know, I. You know, just physically, just my ankle, you know, it's one thing, but it's a big thing. You know, I had to have my ankle replaced and I just. That in itself, I feel a thousand times better. You know, it bothered me all last year, really. You know, it was tough. So got that fixed in the off season. That helped. And, you know, I just think, again, just embracing the great challenge in front of us and just, you know, accepting it.

[Matt Jones]

When Vince left, there was a worry around people that, oh, no, it's falling apart. When that happened, what was your. Did you see it coming? And then it does feel like to me, after that, lots of commitments came. Like, there was almost a. I don't want to say a re. Energizing or what, but. But what was it like when you. Were you surprised and then what happened?

[Mark Stoops]

Yeah, definitely, I was surprised. Definitely surprised. But as I mentioned, you know, that's water under the bridge. Vince and I are good. You know, there's never an easy way to tell somebody you've been with for 12 years that you're going to leave. Yeah, that. That's just not easy to do. And so there's no hard feelings there.

[Matt Jones]

But we're beating them in November, right?

[Mark Stoops]

Oh, well, that. That, you know, without question, we're going for the throw.

[Matt Jones]

I mean, we got to let him know who the grown G R O a n man is, right?

[Mark Stoops]

Yeah, well, without a doubt. You know, but no big. You know, Vince is.

[Matt Jones]

Is.

[Mark Stoops]

It's all good that way. You know, it is what it is. You know, everybody has to do what's right for them. He's in a role off the field that. That maybe it suits him better right now as he moves forward, you know. You know, for the next 12 years. Who knows? You know, But I thank him for what he's done.

[Shannon The Dude]

How's recruiting feelings?

[Mark Stoops]

And we moved right on. I mean, that's just it, you know, people think it's such a.

[Matt Jones]

Explain to people how recruiting's done, especially because that's. That's one of the things that people wonder.

[Mark Stoops]

Well, and I think in June, people are looking for stuff to talk about, right?

[Matt Jones]

Yeah.

[Mark Stoops]

Let's be honest. And so when that happens, it's. It's kind of a big deal to people and the fans and everything, but not to the organization. I mean, these guys, we moved on quickly.

[Matt Jones]

Okay.

[Mark Stoops]

And in recruiting things, you know, to me in a lot, you know, we can't talk about it all right now. Be glad to jump on again later. But I feel like with this settlement and the way things are going, I really feel good.

[Ryan Lemond]

Okay, let me.

[Mark Stoops]

Let's talk about. I really do.

[Matt Jones]

Do you feel that people are obviously concerned, wondering about basketball, football, rips. Yeah, just talk to me just about football. No. Do you feel like you have the resources that you need to go and be competitive?

[Mark Stoops]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

Okay.

[Mark Stoops]

And in particular, Matt, with the settlement and with basically, like a salary cap, if we could adhere to this nationwide, and then I think we'll be in the best position we've been in a long time. These last two or three years have just been rough. I don't even care to go back. You know, don't like making excuses. It was just rough. You know what I mean?

[Shannon The Dude]

It just so.

[Matt Jones]

But if you. But explain to me. There's. There are reports out there that the football program may not be getting as much as other SEC football programs.

[Mark Stoops]

That's not true.

[Matt Jones]

Not true.

[Mark Stoops]

Simply not true.

[Matt Jones]

Okay.

[Mark Stoops]

Yeah. Yes. Not. I don't. I think Mitch had a press conference this morning, took my spot because I did mine Monday. But he. Maybe he's addressed that. I don't know. I can't get in these.

[Matt Jones]

But You're. You're. Not true.

[Mark Stoops]

Not true.

[Matt Jones]

Okay.

[Mark Stoops]

I'm very pleased with where we're at, and I feel like because of some of the things we've done, you know, with this cap, if you will. You know what I mean? If we. With. With this settlement, if. If we. If everybody abides by these rules and we have some governance for this, then I feel like we'll be in the best position we've been in for a while, especially the next couple years.

[Matt Jones]

Do you. Okay. So there's people who say. I mean, I. You know, this. This is probably the most criticism I've seen. You have to take in an off season since you've been here. You see it or hear about it, even if you don't see it.

[Mark Stoops]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

How do you react to that when you Is. Or do you. It's. I have a hard time. Yeah. But I have a hard time believing you don't notice it. You're like me. You feel stuff.

[Mark Stoops]

That's fair. Absolutely. In. But I accept it. I mean, like, listen, when I said 12 years ago, 13 years ago, when I walked in here, I knew what I was getting into. That's not B.S. like, I. I know. I've been around this business. Brothers have been head coaches. I been around it all. That doesn't mean it's easy, doesn't mean you like it. But I know very clearly, you know, there's going to be ups and there's going to be downs and in the. And it's not fun, man. I feel, you know, when I say that, it's not just me saying that. Like, I feel for the, like, the way we played and everything. Like, I don't want to come out here in this stadium and perform like that and have a team like that. That matters to me. I have pride in what we do in our team, and that wasn't good enough. And, you know, I can promise you we're just working hard to get it rectified.

[Matt Jones]

Do you. I will say watching. I mean, I. You took a lot of criticism for a while. I have felt like in the last couple months, we've talked about this, there's been some, like, all right, let's go. Let's do this. And one of the things, Shannon, you haven't had to use the bell yet, right? Like, we haven't had to use the buzzer and the bell because we were talking about words. People said, yeah, the fans want to hear. You're motivated. You've been saying grateful. And do you. You know what, that. Fans are out There with the motivated thing. Why not embrace it?

[Mark Stoops]

Well, listen, one thing is. Is that's fine. I'm motivated. When have I not been motivated?

[Matt Jones]

I know. That's what. Well, that's where it came from.

[Mark Stoops]

When I've won 10 games two times in four years that hadn't been done in 50. Was that motivated?

[Matt Jones]

You were motivated? Yeah.

[Mark Stoops]

Well, I mean, is that fair?

[Matt Jones]

Yeah.

[Mark Stoops]

Fair.

[Matt Jones]

No.

[Mark Stoops]

So. So don't. Don't. Don't act like I'm not ever motivated.

[Matt Jones]

You are always motivated.

[Shannon The Dude]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

You know, there you go. There we go. Yeah. Do you. All right, So I love when you. You're swashbuckling.

[Mark Stoops]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

Your comment about the SMU coach on the spn, we played it a lot where you said if he wants to, you know, strap it up and bring it on. It does annoy you when conferences try to act like the SEC is not the thing. Right.

[Mark Stoops]

I think it's funny, you know, I didn't make it. You know, I just thought, like, if you're some other head coaches. Couple of them are really good friends of mine, you know, that are. That are making comments in the offseason. Why wouldn't they say that? Of course they're gonna say that. They want us to go and beat each other up. You know, they. Some of them been in this league.

[Matt Jones]

But it's ridiculous to act like this is the best.

[Mark Stoops]

I mean.

[Matt Jones]

I mean, I don't care what. Like this, clearly.

[Mark Stoops]

Matt, do I really need to justify our schedule? Put it up.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. I mean, I am with you on that. I'm with you on that talk. So you. What is your philosophy going forward with how the portal is, etc. Football's got to be so hard because you want to develop guys, but you need guys in the immediate term. How do you decide how to balance that?

[Mark Stoops]

Yeah, I think there's just got to be a good balance. You know, obviously, last year was really heavy. You know, we're. It's not typical for us to have 50 new players. You guys know that. You follow us very closely, and, you know, I don't think that'll happen again. I really don't.

[Matt Jones]

Okay.

[Mark Stoops]

You know. You know, that's not. That's not our plan. You know, we have really good players that are young and that are growing in our program, and we want to continue to develop that. That model for us is never going to change. You know, the old recruit and develop. I mean, that's still there. I mean, that's very much who we want to be. The players, I think, you know, as we move forward the next three years, I think there'll be a little bit more stability just because of the free agency with the portals. Does that make sense?

[Shannon The Dude]

The last three years?

[Mark Stoops]

I mean, it's just astronomical. You know what, what you, you don't could play players if you were a college player.

[Matt Jones]

These last two years were the two years to be a guy.

[Mark Stoops]

Yeah, for sure. And so I think that's just, you know, it's going to be hard. It's hard for us to, to sustain that, you know, if the model stayed the same.

[Ryan Lemond]

My favorite, Mark Stoops is ticked off. Mark Stoops, I think you got your best when you got like a chip on your shoulder and I see that coming back. What did you do for you to get that back, get that fire back?

[Mark Stoops]

Yeah, I think, you know, I, again, I understand that. I agree, you know, to some extent, I think I'm always trying to stay ahead, try to stay motivated to do what I need to do to your guys's point. But, but, you know, I think just nobody likes, you know, hey, let's be honest. I mean, we, we, you know, we took it on the chin last year, right. And nobody likes that. Anybody that's a competitor, you don't like that. So, you know, we've got to get it fixed. And yeah, I'm as competitive as anybody and I don't like that. I don't like the way we played. And there's been other times, you know, where we've left it on this field and there's going to be good and bad and there. It's always going to be a hard schedule. However, you know, it's, it's time to reload.

[Matt Jones]

I could talk to you all day, but they're making us go. Mark, thank you very much for doing it. Thanks. Appreciate it. We'll talk to you again. We'll take a break. Mitch Barnhart, when we return.

[Mark Stoops]

Yeah, that was good.

[Mitch Barnhart]

T.J. smith, personal injury attorney. Call T.J. he'll make him pay.

[Shannon The Dude]

Now more of Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage. Here's Matt Jones.

[Matt Jones]

Welcome back, Techie Sports Radio. Mitch Barnhart, UK athletic director, joining us. Mitch, this has to have been, this has to have been one of the more difficult years you've had with all the stuff that's been going on, right?

[Shannon The Dude]

Yeah. As I mentioned earlier, we've had about, I would say, 10 years worth of work in college athletics. It's been jam down the pipeline in about six to 10 months. And when I say that not from just the institutional perspective, from the global perspective of what's going on in college, it's been a lot. We've had good leadership from a lot of folks and a lot of folks are trying hard, but it's been a lot.

[Matt Jones]

I mean, even for you personally, going back, you know, it's 15 months ago, you had to hire a new basketball coach. All the way through all that's happened. That's a lot. Okay, so I'm a legal dork. I'm also a political dork. So when all this stuff's been going on, I've been following it and I will tell you, I'm a lawyer who did constitutional and labor law and like politics and I have a hard time following. How does the. How do you all that. How do you guys keep up with what's going on a day to day basis on all.

[Shannon The Dude]

Yeah, it's, it's incredibly complicated. The, the challenges of governance structures. You've got an NCAA governance structure that is struggling. You've got the new Collegiate Sports Commission, which is brand new, which has no new pathways for us yet. They're trying to get rules in place and everything like that as they go. Then you've got Congress, the Senate, U.S. senate from the executive branch, got people weighing in and saying this is a pathway, we need to go. Then you've got four conference commissioners. I mean, so there's a lot of folks in the middle of this.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. A lot of cooks in the kitchen.

[Shannon The Dude]

Yeah. It's complicated, as they say. Complex, complicated. I'm not sure what it is, but.

[Matt Jones]

It'S one of those people in college sports you don't even have to say who they are. But are there people who are like trying to take the leadership on it?

[Shannon The Dude]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

And do they have. Are most people in college sports on the same page or is it all over the place?

[Shannon The Dude]

Yeah, I think, I think, you know, you've. You clearly have the FBS and the four autonomy conferences that are. That are sort of, I would say, in the leadership position of what's going on in college sports. And for some, that may not be what they want to hear. It's a reality. I think Commissioner Sankey, we're thankful in our league we've got a dynamic leader in Greg, his dear friend. I trust him. He's incredibly smart. There's other commissioners that obviously are joining alongside and they're having conversations. So I think that they're taking the forefront of coalescing between the athletic directors. Move to the commissioners, the commissioners to the presidents, and the presidents to the legal. Now we've been in hall. I've been to D.C. i think some of my assistant was telling me four times in the last 10 months we've walked the hallways and been around that and been on the phone. I mean, we've been on the phone a lot. And it's. So they ask us to, you know, we've got to stay in our lane, so to speak. But there's also times where they want our opinion. What does it look like, boots on the ground and what you're doing with the work. You can talk about it at one level, but absolute implementation gets real different when you take. Put it on account how it actually plays out. Absolutely.

[Matt Jones]

My read on it. Tell me if I'm wrong. I read that all this is great. Court decisions, commission, blah, blah, blah. If it's going to hold up for sure when you get to those nine justices on the Supreme Court, you're going to need a congressional law passed in the House and the Senate with 60 votes, which means bipartisan, and then it can stand up. Do you agree with that?

[Shannon The Dude]

Yeah, I think that's what we're going to have to get that spot for it to have to last a while. You know what I'm hopeful we're not going to do is put us in a position where every three to four years we're changing the landscape again. We need some stability. The waters are super choppy right now, and we need them to settle. And we need to get to our young people in our programs deserve that. They deserve to know the landscape that they're in. And frankly, as I mentioned earlier in the presser was we had 675 student athletes last year. I have 525 this year. We lost 150.

[Matt Jones]

Oh, wow.

[Shannon The Dude]

So. And everyone doesn't really catch that until all of a sudden you look up and the baseball roster went from 42, 43 guys down to 34.

[Matt Jones]

But they're all on scholarship now, right?

[Shannon The Dude]

But they have more scholarship.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah.

[Shannon The Dude]

Yes, absolutely. All true.

[Matt Jones]

But fewer people.

[Shannon The Dude]

But fewer people. And I always wonder at the end of the day, all of those that got displaced, did they land someplace?

[Matt Jones]

Yeah.

[Shannon The Dude]

Did they find a home? And we. And we all know at the end of the day, football, men's basketball, stirs this whole thing. We get all that, but at the end of the day, I'm also responsible for that other 450 people.

[Matt Jones]

Well, let's talk real quick about a couple of those things as it applies to uk. Do you feel like you're going to.

[Shannon The Dude]

Have to cut a sport at this Juncture we don't. We don't think so. We think we're in a really solid spot. I've gotten support from the university administration, and we feel good about that. So we feel. We feel really comfortable. I walked in our locker rooms with our team meetings, and I feel really good that we can be stable for a good long time.

[Matt Jones]

There's 20.6 million in revenue. I don't think I realized until I saw that you said it in there. But 2.6 of that is the scholarship. Right. So really it's 18.

[Shannon The Dude]

Yeah. So that is a mandate of the settlement. You have to take that off the top. If you add scholarships, any scholarships that you add have to come off that $20.5 million. And if you give the Allston Awards, that's another 2.5 million, which we are not doing. The Alston Awards, we've replaced that with revenue share or scholarships.

[Matt Jones]

What is the Austin Award?

[Shannon The Dude]

The Alston Academic Awards from. From the NCAA from about eight years ago.

[Matt Jones]

Okay, so you basically are playing with $18 million now.

[Shannon The Dude]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

There was a report that the SEC met and they wanted all schools to set the same amount of money, and the report was that Kentucky objected. Is that true?

[Shannon The Dude]

Yeah, absolutely. I think that that is an institutional decision. I think that we ought to be able to make institutional decisions about how we spend our money. What is important for one school might not be as important for another school. And there's priorities in place. There is a school somewhere else in the. In the country. I can't remember which school it was, and they said they were going to give every student a piece of the revenue share. Well, that's sort of helpful, but not really. If I'm giving somebody $500, but I could have given them a scholarship, I'd rather give them the scholarship that's worth much more than the $500. So we want to be thoughtful about what we do, and I think each institution has to make choices. What is important for one school, maybe football, and one school might be women's basketball. And, you know, there's. There's certain schools that have got incredible priorities for baseball in our league, and.

[Matt Jones]

That makes a lot of sense to me. But then it becomes, okay, well, what do we do at this school? Yeah, you have said you want it to be flexible. In your mind, though, is there a part where you have to say, I'm going to have to choose?

[Shannon The Dude]

Oh, no.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. I mean. And how do you make that decision?

[Shannon The Dude]

Yeah, we absolutely are going to have to make some roster choices, but I want to make sure we're in conversation with all of our coaches at that point. And we've been, they've been awesome. Let me repeat, incredible. I mean, that ability to sit down with both marks and sit here and say, hey, this is where we are. Kenny Brooks in women's basketball, you know, he's in the recruiting process. Mitch, what do we say? And well, what do you need? Tell us what you need. Tell us. Let's match Rob Mullins, who is my deputy a long, long time ago. I hesitate.

[Matt Jones]

You have a huge tree out there.

[Shannon The Dude]

So Rob always had a great line. Matching resources to expectations. So what are the expectations and what are the resources we need to match to those? And so I think we've done a really, really good job of matching resources to expectations for our coaches. And they've been able to go out. It's clear, it's been successful in recruiting. Our coach has been able to bring in the rosters that they wanted to bring in. And as we look forward, they're, they're all saying the same thing. We're in a good spot.

[Matt Jones]

I, I suspect that you tell. This was another report. You tell me if it's true. You know, it is very different. Lots of school, every school wants to be good at football. You mentioned some really want women's basketball, some really want baseball. I can't imagine there's a school in the country that cares more about basketball than here. So as you're sitting here looking at this football team and saying, we're playing the hardest league in the country, but I got this basketball team that they want. The fans, the fans want it to be the best team in the country. How do you do that with those two sports?

[Shannon The Dude]

It's magic.

[Matt Jones]

What a great answer.

[Shannon The Dude]

No, it's, it's a, it's a puzzle. It's a puzzle. You know, we want to make sure that we're, we're being thoughtful about that. You know, the. As I told them in there, I said the settlement goes up 4% every. Yep. And then. So that 20.5 million. We think we're hopeful that we, that, that is a, in the litigation, we can get to a spot where maybe we can say that $2.5 million was a 1 time offset and we can get that added back because scholarships, it's not new anymore.

[Matt Jones]

Gotcha.

[Shannon The Dude]

And so we're. I don't know how that'll work, Matt. I don't, I don't know how that'll work. If it does, it does whatever the.

[Matt Jones]

Amount of money is. Kentucky, you think can have it.

[Shannon The Dude]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

Okay. So in some respects, whatever the money is, you're not worried about raising.

[Shannon The Dude]

No, we're going to be involved. We're going to be, we're going to be at the, at the, at the maximum we can be okay to support our programs and, and not be disadvantaged.

[Matt Jones]

And that is something that I'm not going to say which schools, some schools in the Power 4 conferences might have a hard time with.

[Shannon The Dude]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

Okay.

[Shannon The Dude]

And.

[Matt Jones]

And do you worry about the Big east teams that don't have football, the amount of money they could spend on basketball?

[Shannon The Dude]

Certainly, it's different. And that is a conversation. That's a concern, you know, I mean, as it relates to our basketball program. Making sure that we're, that we're aligned in the, in the proper ecosystem, so to speak. Yes.

[Matt Jones]

All right.

[Shannon The Dude]

So make sure that we're in that conversation.

[Matt Jones]

I think it's only fair that I ask you my biggest concern about this, which is I'm a, I'm a public information guy. Right. I heard that you said in there, and I understand your position, which is. I don't want to tell you what we're doing because that gives the other people a competitive advantage. Help me understand how public institutions, not just you. Okay. Because I'm sure they're all going to take this position. How do public institutions justify not telling people what they're spending the money on?

[Shannon The Dude]

Yeah. So for part of that, you know, part of that is in terms of a student FERPA perspective, we want to be able to protect students, which is sport by sport. And again, that's a more. It's. It will be fluid from moment to moment. It could change from moment to moment. And so, you know, it's. I think that there's a competitive piece for us and then student rights piece for us and we can argue at all.

[Matt Jones]

Leave aside the student rights. I don't care.

[Shannon The Dude]

I get people who want to know.

[Matt Jones]

But let me, let me just make my. I'm not talking player by player. I don't, I don't think it. I don't, I don't know if the public should know what. Alex Afari.

[Shannon The Dude]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

Right.

[Shannon The Dude]

Right.

[Matt Jones]

But how do these, how do, does the SEC or any school justify not letting fans know what, which program they're spending money on?

[Shannon The Dude]

Yeah, I mean, I don't, I'm not sure the, the, the, the legal pieces and all that. You know, I don't. Having said that, I just know that from a competitive experience. Competitive for us, for. Absolutely, it's competitive. Absolutely.

[Matt Jones]

It's if all the schools come together and say, we're going to release it, are you cool with that? Well, at least you're honest about it. I appreciate that. You know what? I. Even when I disagree, I respect people that are up front notice. So I. I can take that last thing. A lot of fans, and I do my best to explain it. A lot of fans who just love Kentucky sports. Right? I love Kentucky sports. College sports matter to me look at this and go, is this all gonna survive? What would you say to.

[Shannon The Dude]

Yeah, I'd say we. That is certainly. When you say all of it, I mean all of it. Not just football. Not just. I would argue. And not at the level. I get it. And so don't walk out of here and say he's delusional. Many have said that. When you walked in and we were throwing the final pitch to get to the College World Series, that was emotional moment for a lot of Kentucky fans as it was for some of the things we've done here. And so my point, when Sidney McLaughlin is running away with gold medals, that's as emotional for a lot of our fans is a lot of things when, you know, I could go down the list. My point in all that is I want it to all survive, Matt. But can football and men's basketball? There has to be a pathway. We have got to find a way to ensure there's a pathway. It's too important for us as an institution, is too important for us as a community, what it means to this community. We just got some economic impact reports from supposedly. We're trying to verify all that stuff of what the first, second round of the men's basketball tournament was when we were here.

[Matt Jones]

Trust me, somebody owns a restaurant, I can tell you, but also the state. I was down in London after the tornado. This stuff matters to people, you know, it just does.

[Shannon The Dude]

It does. And so we've got to find a way to enjoy.

[Matt Jones]

Sure.

[Shannon The Dude]

You know, and I. If you weren't, you weren't in there. But I told the story of the couple in South Carolina that my wife and I befriended a little bit. And they didn't know anything about the litigation. They had no idea what was going on in the world of college athletics. But they did know that we were playing Duke next Tuesday night. It was really, really important. And so I say that because our fans are so special and this community is special. And between the Keeneland and the horse racing and the Bourbon Trail and what we offer in tourism, and we're a part of that piece for this community. And the jobs it creates and the things that it does. We've got to be strong for that. We've got to be strong for what we do at Kentucky. We think we're a really good front porch for the university and we want to make sure that when people walk in the door, it's painted well, it looks great on the outside and we lead them in something that's really, really cool. So it's important. From a lot of fronts, not the least of which just the emotional well being of our fans. I want, I want them to walk out and going, you know what? We are Kentucky and we're, we're special.

[Matt Jones]

Brings pride to the state. It brings pride to people that need it. And I, I respect that.

[Shannon The Dude]

Absolutely.

[Matt Jones]

I want, I'll finish this. I. As we were going, starting this tumultuous path three or four years ago, I will admit I thought Mitch has been a great athletic director, but this is a conservative kind of old school guy. I think you've done a great job with this. I really do. I mean I. You have navigated this way above my expectations. So I just want to congratulate you on that. I really, I really do mean that.

[Shannon The Dude]

Thanks, man.

[Matt Jones]

Thank you, Mitch.

[Shannon The Dude]

Appreciate it.

[Matt Jones]

We will take a break and be right back.

[Mitch Barnhart]

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[Matt Jones]

Welcome back Kentucky Sports Radio. Shannon just made me laugh in the break. About as hard as he's made me laugh. Corporatehimp.com Full spectrum flour only hemp CBD gummies and seltzers. Take them. You can help you rest, relax, help you sleep after a big baseball game like Shannon went to last night. Help you come down a little bit. It's Cornbread Hemp. Use my promo code, KSR. 20% off, full spectrum flour only hemp CBD. With my good friends at Cornbread Hemp, I think that's the best Mitch has ever been on ksr. I'm going to be honest with you. I've always kind of, you know, I. His interviews are usually like talking around stuff that's. Maybe it was just that we only had 12 minutes or 15 minutes. He was direct. That's the best he's ever done on here, I think. What do you think? Maybe, maybe besides when he came on with Pope to introduce Pope to everybody. But that this is probably right there with it.

[Ryan Lemond]

Very open, very candid, very straightforward. Answered your questions, didn't dance around anything. And he was a little funny. Got us all laughing a couple times.

[Matt Jones]

Answered them directly, like, like I give him credit, like, that's not something he usually does. He answered every single thing I said directly.

[Drew Franklin]

It's a great interview. I told Jake with UK Athletics. I said, I gotta be honest, I did not expect to laugh twice when he sat down. But when he said magic in the.

[Matt Jones]

Laugh, I mean, I still disagree with him on that, but I gotta respect the.

[Drew Franklin]

What a good answer.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, that was good. That was good.

[Ryan Lemond]

He definitely helped his life.

[Matt Jones]

Definitely news there, right?

[Ryan Lemond]

Oh, yeah.

[Matt Jones]

Not ending any sports. I don't know if he said this stuff in the. In the other ones, I'm not sure. But not ending any sports. Saying we will have the money no matter what, and basically saying that, you know, well, maybe even Mark Stoop saying, football's good. Yeah, I think those are all three very important newsy things to come out.

[Ryan Lemond]

Of this, I think. So Also you talk about it being a fluid situation where it could change as the season goes on and things like that. So I thought both guys really, really helped themselves in the eyes of the fan base and said what I think a lot of us needed to Hear.

[Matt Jones]

Him say, but see, that's like. I would say that's good advice in general. Just, like, for these things. Just answer the question. Like, people are smart. They can tell if you're not. He answered all of those questions, and I bet there are some. Some sports fans and former athletes of some of those sports listening going.

[Ryan Lemond]

Good.

[Matt Jones]

Because there were definitely has been. Have been rumors that a couple of these sports might go away. And so he kind of, I think, diffuses that.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, that both guys. It's very comforting for anyone keeping up with this and watching it. We didn't really get much time to react to Stoops, but I loved how straightforward Stoops was about how those reports are wrong. Like, I'm. I'm happy. Like, we all heard the basketballs, that they're getting smaller pieces of the pie. Stoops is like, no, that's completely false.

[Matt Jones]

And I think it is interesting. Again, you think of. Mitch is like, this conservative. I mean, literally, Shannon played Loosen up my Buttons, baby, as he came in. I cannot believe if you did have that top button. He did have his top button done, but. But he. For some. For him to. Basically, I asked him about the report that he objected to everybody doing the same thing. I thought he would say, well, I mean, we may not have been. He was like, yep, that was us.

[Ryan Lemond]

That didn't try to hide it at all.

[Matt Jones]

Did he not try to hide it at all? He's like, yes, we were the ones that objected. Good. Because I think Kentucky is the school that maybe needs to object the most. We need to have the ability to pay basketball. And good. Good for Mitch. He did it.

[Drew Franklin]

I don't know the person that was sitting right there.

[Matt Jones]

I don't either. Who was that guy?

[Drew Franklin]

Swaggy Mitch? Like, he stuck out his chest, like, yeah, it was me.

[Matt Jones]

I mean, yes, it was me. He did have his top button buttoned, but I think underneath, the pectoral muscles were flexing Like. Like Mr. Spectacular. Shannon. Like, yeah, look who's here. Like, yeah, I was really. Who was that guy?

[Shannon The Dude]

The top button was halfway undone.

[Matt Jones]

I wanted to unbutton it.

[Shannon The Dude]

He was trying to come.

[Matt Jones]

You know, one of these years, we're gonna have him come on. And right as he sits down, Mario will unbutton the top button, See what he does. But seriously, I thought that was great. And I feel better. I honestly feel better about that stuff now after talking to him.

[Ryan Lemond]

Both of them were really good.

[Matt Jones]

So good. All right, we're gonna do players. Next. We'll have Zach Calzada Pete. What's Pete's first name? She has Mr. Mr. Pete and Bush Hampden. This is next on KSR.

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