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Five Predictions for the next Decade

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We had a pretty good ending to the decade for University of Kentucky athletics. The basketball Cats beat No. 3 Louisville in an OT thriller and the football Cats pulled out a last second win against Virginia Tech in the Belk Bowl with Lynn Bowden throwing the winning touchdown pass.

This past decade treated Kentucky fans pretty good too. A national title and a great basketball run, Kentucky baseball made the Super Regionals, Mark Stoops brought Kentucky football back from the dead with four straight winning seasons, including two bowl wins and a 10-3 season.

Whether you want to admit it or not, it was a great ten years for Kentucky Athletics. Yeah we could’ve won a few more games here and there, some more important than others, but it was a great decade.

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With another ten years on the horizon for Kentucky sports, here are five predictions for this next decade.

Alcohol will be sold at all games

A very controversial decision that was made this past year with no alcohol sales at Kentucky sporting events will come to an end.

Even though alcohol is allowed in the suites where the rich are, alcohol will be sold to fans with a stadium seat.

Many other programs have already allowed alcohol sales, raising revenue substantially. There was already a lot of backlash after this past decision, so I do not see it lasting long.

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Kentucky football will make the SEC Championship game

I didn’t think Kentucky football would have the success that they have had, so here we go.

Mark Stoops has done a tremendous job with bringing Kentucky football back from the dead and making them a legit contender in the east.

After they hosted Georgia last year with a trip to Atlanta on the line, I can’t help but think it will happen again and Kentucky will win.

It could come as soon as next year with Kentucky’s roster loaded with talent and the Bulldogs coming to Lexington for another matchup with the Cats.

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Mark Stoops will not leave Kentucky

As I said above, Stoops has already had a ton of success with Kentucky. After a terrible start to his career, Stoops is now 44-44 in his career at Kentucky with a 10-3 season and a major bowl win backed up by an 8-5 season with a WR at QB and a bowl win.

If the Cats do accomplish Stoops’ ultimate goal and make the SEC Championship game, many schools will come calling.

I think there will be a lot of drama surrounding Stoops and other jobs, but at the end of the day, Mark Stoops will not leave Kentucky.

Kentucky basketball will get No. 9 and No. 10

Kentucky basketball and John Calipari have not won a title since 2012 and while a lot of people think he’s underachieving, which is complete nonsense, Kentucky has been knocking on the door for many years now.

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Kentucky will get No. 9 and No. 10 this decade. With the one and done ending, I would not be surprised if the Cats won back-to-back titles.

Now, if John Calipari spends 15 years at Kentucky and wins only one national title, then we can talk about whether he underachieved here.

John Calipari will retire

Since John Calipari has been at Kentucky, there have been many rumors about him leaving. The rumors started right after Kentucky won the title in 2012 and have been swirling ever since.

Who will follow him? I have no clue. I just know that we need to cherish these next few years with Calipari.

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If the above does happen, I think Cal will retire right after.

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Louisville Football Player Charged With First-Degree Strangulation, Days After Committing Game Losing Personal Foul

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Louisville Cardinals defensive back Tayon Holloway (20) reacts to his defensive play.
Eric Canha | Imagn

On Monday, Louisville football defensive back Tayon Holloway was detained and charged with first-degree strangulation and fourth-degree assault.

This comes just days after the former four-star prospect committed a costly personal foul to put a 2-7 Stanford team in field goal range and upset Louosillve 38-35 with a walk-off field goal.

As expected, Holloway has been indefinitely suspended from the team.

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“The University of Louisville is aware of the arrest of football student-athlete Tayon Holloway,” the university said in a statement. “As we gather more information, Tayon has been suspended indefinitely from all team activities.”

Things Cardinals seem to be in a downward trend as the Commonwealth Cup nears, November 30th.

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Kentucky snaps four game losing streak defeats Murray State 48-6

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Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops talking to Murray State football coach Jody Wright.
Jordan Prather | Imagn

Kentucky gets a much-needed victory over Murray St 48-6 to snap its four-game losing Streak. Brock Vandagriff led the way for the Cats, going 12-19 for 183 passing yards and two touchdown passes to Hardley Gilmore IV and Ja’Mori Maclin. 48 Points is the most points Kentucky has scored in a game since 2021 when the Cats scored 51 points against Louisville.

The defense held Murray St. without a touchdown. For the second time this season, Kentucky’s defense has held an opponent without a touchdown.

Freshman Standout today:

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For the second time this season, Kentucky breaks the 40-point mark as three freshmen make impacts for Kentucky. Jamarion Wilcox had 13 carries and 124 yards with a touchdown in the 3rd quarter.

Receiver Hardley Gilmore IV had two receptions for 72 yards and caught the 52-yard touchdown pass from Brock Vandagriff on the game-opening drive.

Four-star quarterback Cutter Boley started the second half for the Cats, going 10-14 and passing for 130 yards with two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, both touchdown passes to sophomore receiver Anthony Brown-Stephens.

Defense Bounces Back:

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After giving up over 475 yards of total offense each of the last three games, Kentucky’s defense holds Murray State to 256 total yards of offense while also having three takeaways from the Murray State offense

Defensive Lineman Tre’vonn Rybka led the way for the defense with five tackles and the only sack of the game for Kentucky’s defense. Jordan Lovett had two takeaways in the first half for Kentucky and one in the red zone in the second quarter. Jackson Schultz had the final takeaway, picking off Jim Ogle’s pass late in the fourth quarter.

Box Score

With the win today over Murray St., Kentucky moves to 4-6 (1-6 SEC) with two games remaining. They look to keep their bowl eligibility alive as they travel to Austin, Texas, and face the No. 3 ranked Texas Longhorns at 3:30 pm on ABC. 

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Mark Stoops Responds to Retirement Rumors, “Zero Percent Chance I Do That”

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Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops responds to retirement rumors amidst disappointing season. "Zero percent chance I do that."
Jordan Prather | Imagn

To say there is unrest in the Kentucky Football fanbase would be an understatement. With a 3-6 record overall, and 1-6 in the SEC (15th out of 16) things look bleak, and there is still a quarter of the season to go. Considering the regression from the previous two seasons as well, it’s difficult to be optimistic about the future.

Over the last few weeks, rumors have circled that head coach Mark Stoops has considered retiring at the end of the season. Optics wise it makes sense, his older brother Bob Stoops surprisingly retired from Oklahoma at just 56, and Mark, now 57, has expressed a desire to spend more time with his children.

At his weekly press conference, Stoops was asked directly if there is any chance that he would walk away from Kentucky and retire at the season. To which he responded, bluntly:

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“Zero percent chance I do that. Next question.”

Mark Stoops is still owed more than $44 million on his contract. That’s A LOT of money to leave on the table and is the reason that the decision will be Stoops’ to make, as Kentucky cannot afford the buyout.

If Stoops holds true to his word and returns next season, NIL fundraising efforts may be the most difficult it has been for him. However, he hopes it sparks motivation to donate.

“I’ve seen it at other SEC schools,” Stoops said. “I want to stay away from that. I really get tired of — I don’t want to be like I am whining, I am crying. It is reality. You have to have dollars.”

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