KSR – Hour 1 | October 15, 2025

Podcast: Kentucky Sports Radio
Host: Matt Jones, with Ryan Lemond, Drew Franklin
Location: KS Bar and Grill, Lexington
Duration: 00:00–46:30

Episode Overview

This lively edition of Kentucky Sports Radio kicks off “Ask Anything Wednesday” with Matt Jones, Ryan Lemond, and Drew Franklin at KS Bar and Grill. The hosts reflect on major local events for the weekend, share lighthearted personal stories, and dig deep into the latest questions around UK football—particularly the future of Coach Mark Stoops and AD Mitch Barnhart’s recent comments. The episode also touches on community news, quirky Lexington updates, and a dose of inside-the-athletics drama.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Lexington’s Big Weekend: Sports, Entertainment, & Chaos ([02:11]–[03:26])

• Major Events: The hosts preview a bustling weekend in Lexington: the Blue-White Game, UK vs. Texas football, Parents Weekend, Adam Sandler’s concert, and even ScareFest (“Comic-Con for Halloween”).
  • Quote – Drew Franklin [02:36]:
    “It’s going to be a lot of fun... but to anyone just trying to get around town and live their regular life, I’m expecting absolute chaos. But it is good for Lexington. This will be one of the biggest weekends of the year.”
• KS Bar: The bar expects record crowds for the festivities, especially on game day.

2. Matt’s Absurd “Sperm Racing” Phone Call ([03:26]–[07:15])

• Funny Story Time: Matt recounts a mistakenly anticipated “important call” that turned out to be a promotional offer for a “sperm racing” tailgate event—aimed at raising awareness for male infertility.
  • Memorable Moment: Matt, on the phone in his doctor’s office, is pitched the event:
    “So what do you know about sperm racing?” ([05:19])
  • Reactions: The group jokes about health scores and promotional boundaries, collectively deciding, “We weren’t open to that.” ([07:13])

3. The Stoops Situation & Mitch Barnhart’s Public Comments ([07:16]–[15:29])

• Barnhart’s Interview: The hosts analyze AD Mitch Barnhart’s statements in the Herald-Leader regarding Mark Stoops’ contract and job security.
  • Quote – Mitch Barnhart ([08:19]):
    “Mark is working hard. Can I promise everything that everybody wants me to promise? No, there’s no promise. We can play our hearts out... and all of a sudden you find yourself with a loss that you didn’t want. And that doesn’t mean you didn’t give effort, you didn’t work your way through it. But Mark and his guys are working hard now.”
• Analysis:
  • Drew Franklin [08:40]: “First, I rolled my eyes... it just feels like Barnhart’s throwing out a little bit of support for Stoops and just gonna let the result tell the story at the end of the season.”
  • Matt Jones [09:02]: “Wasn’t a lot of support... it’s almost like he’s acknowledging we may not win very many games the rest of the year.”
  • Ryan Lemond [09:25]: “That was no vote of confidence at all... He works hard. He’s a hard worker. No, you’re never gonna get on the floor, but boy, you sure are a hard worker. That’s how I heard that paragraph.”

4. Deep Dive: The Timeline & Impact of Stoops’ Contract Extensions ([09:55]–[15:29])

• Contract History:
  • Stoops’ first UK contract (2012): 5 years, $11M
  • By 2022: making $9M/yr
  • Key Point: After a 4–0 start in 2022 (Miami (OH), Youngstown, Northern Illinois, Florida), Stoops gets another extension—raising the buyout to $38M within 60 days if he leaves.
  • Barnhart’s rationale: “Our fans wanted us to make sure we didn’t lose a guy that had been so beneficial to our program.”
    • Quote – Drew Franklin [14:26]: “He’s rewriting history. If all the fans wanted it, you would have made graphics and paraded that around.”
    • Matt Jones notes this was never publicly announced; it only came out through an open records request.
• Hosts’ Take: The crew questions Barnhart’s candor and decision-making, seeing his explanations as disingenuous and ill-timed.
  • Matt Jones [15:00]: “To say ‘I’m still proud of it.’ That worries me. If you still think that was a good decision where we’re sitting right now, I don’t know what to say at that point.”

5. NIL and Kentucky’s Institutional Lag ([19:11]–[21:38])

• Barnhart’s Claim: Struggles attributed to the change in college sports (NIL era)—“it was a struggle for us for a couple years just trying to find our way.”
• Hosts Push Back:
  • Matt Jones [20:18]: “Everyone, myself included, was warning Mitch that we were behind... Now he’s using the excuse of being behind as an excuse, when at the time, he was saying he wasn’t behind.”
  • Drew Franklin and Ryan Lemond remind listeners that other schools (especially Tennessee) were more proactive in NIL, while UK’s administration hesitated—hypocrisy identified.

6. Reading the Tea Leaves on Stoops’ Future ([21:50]–[23:01])

• Hosts' Verdict: If UK wins six, Stoops is safe; three or four wins, he can’t stay; five, it’s unclear but “sounds like [Barnhart] would lean to keep him” ([22:36]–[22:51]).
  • Matt Jones [22:36]: “If it’s three or four, he doesn’t have a choice. If it’s six, he’s keeping him. And then the question is what would happen if it’s 5? If you read that, I think 5 sounds like he would lean to keep it.”

7. Quick Hits & Listener Calls ([25:05]–[46:30])

Adam Sandler in Town & Lex Updates ([39:39]–[41:12])

• Adam Sandler concert excitement; Ryan considers attending with family—typical banter about scoring tickets.
• City news: Plans to renovate New Circle Rd. spur mock-serious “mayor” brainstorming and banter about pedestrian infrastructure and local development.

Rapper Stopped London, KY Interstate ([25:15]–[27:32])

• Armani White stops I-75 in London to film a music video—gets arrested.
  • Drew Franklin [26:50]: “The audacity to just pull over on the interstate and just think this is my set to make a video.”
  • The story provides some laughs and commentary on Kentucky’s flair for drawing national attention.

Stoops/Calipari Relationship Retrospective ([28:16]–[32:44])

• Listener asks about Mark Stoops’ relationship with new basketball coach Mark Pope vs. former coach John Calipari.
  • Matt: Stoops and Pope get along well; Stoops and Cal became “very, very toxic” (especially over NIL issues).
  • Drew Franklin: Cal became detached from other athletics staff—created a “mean girls cafeteria” atmosphere at Jeff Ruby’s; Cal “lost everybody in the entire... UK athletics.”

Wildcard Calls & Show Traditions ([45:06]–[46:31])

• Justin calls in to ask about the origin of Matt’s “huah!” on air—Matt says it came naturally, then they riff on old sports radio traditions.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |---|---|---| | 02:36 | Drew Franklin | "I'm expecting absolute chaos. But it is good for Lexington. This will be one of the biggest weekends of the year." | | 05:19 | Matt Jones (story) | "So what do you know about sperm racing?" | | 09:25 | Ryan Lemond | "[Barnhart’s statement is] no vote of confidence at all for your coach... He works hard. He’s a hard worker. No, you’re never gonna get on the floor... but boy, you sure are a hard worker." | | 14:26 | Drew Franklin | "If all the fans wanted it, you would have made graphics and paraded that around." | | 15:00 | Matt Jones | "To say 'I'm still proud of it.' That worries me." | | 20:18 | Matt Jones | "Everyone, myself included, was warning Mitch that we were behind... Now he's using the excuse of being behind as an excuse, when at the time, he was saying he wasn't behind." | | 22:36 | Matt Jones | "If it's three or four, he doesn't have a choice. If it's six, he's keeping him... I think 5 sounds like he would lean to keep it." | | 26:50 | Drew Franklin | "The audacity to just pull over on the interstate and just think this is my set to make a video." | | 31:59 | Matt Jones | "There was a mean girls cafeteria sense a little bit with the staffs. Is that fair to say?" |

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:11]: Big Lexington Weekend overview
• [03:26]: Matt’s sperm racing call story
• [07:16]: Stoops contract & Barnhart’s latest comments
• [19:11]: NIL struggles; institutional lag
• [21:50]: Reading the Stoops job security “tea leaves”
• [25:15]: Armani White/london music video arrest
• [28:16]: Stoops–Calipari/Pope relationships
• [39:39]: Adam Sandler concert/local news/urban planning banter
• [45:06]: Listener asks about “huah!” origin

Episode Tone & Style

• Genuine, local, and humorous—banter mixes with pointed analysis.
• Hosts don’t mince words when questioning UK Athletics decisions but keep the atmosphere relaxed and light, with plenty of inside jokes and nostalgia.
• Signature “Ask Anything Wednesday” encourages offbeat stories and listener calls.

Final Takeaway

This KSR hour delivers an inside look at Kentucky athletics’ current crossroads—with candid, at times critical discussion of leadership, contracts, and the NIL era—and sprinkles in the unique, small-town oddities and listener engagement that define the show. It’s an essential listen for Big Blue Nation and anyone following the evolving world of college sports in Kentucky.