2025 Was a Year of Change for Kentucky Sports - But Now It’s Time to Win
As the calendar flips to 2026, Kentucky sports fans are looking back at a year that didn’t just mark the end of a quarter-century - it marked the end of an era in Lexington. The faces that once defined the Wildcats' athletic identity have largely turned over.
Gone are the longtime staples on the sidelines. Only Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart remains from what was, not long ago, one of the most stable leadership groups in the SEC.
In 2025, change wasn’t just a buzzword - it was the reality across the board for Kentucky athletics. From new basketball coaches to a full-blown football reboot, and even seismic shifts in how college athletes are compensated, the Wildcats entered a new chapter. But with all that movement, one thing remains clear: change is only worthwhile if it leads to wins.
New Coaches, New Energy on the Hardwood
Kentucky hoops saw a full reset in 2025, with both the men’s and women’s programs under new leadership - and both first-year head coaches brought fresh energy and results that gave Big Blue Nation something to rally around.
On the women’s side, Kenny Brooks took over a program that had bottomed out in the SEC standings. With All-American point guard Georgia Amoore running the show, the turnaround was swift and impressive.
The Wildcats snapped a seven-game losing streak to rival Louisville, stayed ranked in the Top 25 for most of the year, and finished No. 12 in the final AP Poll. A fourth-place finish in the ultra-competitive SEC and a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament marked a massive leap forward.
Over on the men’s side, Mark Pope didn’t just bring a new playbook - he brought a jolt of life back into a program that had grown stale under John Calipari. Pope’s Wildcats came out swinging, picking up big non-conference wins early in the season. But the SEC, as deep and dangerous as it’s ever been, proved to be a gauntlet.
It was a season of wild swings. Kentucky opened league play with a thrilling shootout win over Florida and swept Tennessee in the regular season - no small feat.
But inconsistency reared its head, with losses to Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, and Texas. Injuries didn’t help, and neither did the emotional weight of Calipari’s return to Rupp Arena, which ended in a loss that stung more than most.
Still, there were real signs of progress. Kentucky tied an NCAA record with eight wins over Top 15 opponents and, most importantly, returned to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019.
Pope entered the job with zero NCAA Tournament wins. He left his first season with two - and a fanbase that’s cautiously optimistic about what’s next.
A Football Reset: From Stoops to Stein
While the basketball programs were building something new, Kentucky football was trying to hold on to what once was - and ultimately, it couldn’t.
Mark Stoops had already become the winningest coach in school history, surpassing Bear Bryant. But after a 4-8 season, the pressure was mounting.
The problem? That contract.
Stoops had one of the most ironclad buyouts in college football - roughly $38 million due within 60 days if Kentucky wanted to move on.
The Wildcats needed a bounce-back year, and the roster underwent a major overhaul to make that happen. But the results didn’t follow.
A pair of pivotal games against Ole Miss and South Carolina loomed large. Kentucky lost both, and with each defeat, the conversation around Stoops’ future got louder.
Then came a spark. Redshirt freshman quarterback Cutter Boley stepped in and gave the offense life, nearly leading the Wildcats to an upset over Texas with an 80% completion rate.
That performance lit a fire, and Kentucky rattled off three straight wins. A bowl berth was in reach - all they needed was a win over Louisville or Vanderbilt in the final two weeks.
Instead, the Wildcats collapsed, losing both games by a combined score of 86-17. That stretch sealed Stoops’ fate.
Though some believed he’d done enough to stay, the back-to-back blowouts were too much to overlook. A negotiated buyout ended his 13-year run in Lexington.
Kentucky didn’t wait long to turn the page. Within 48 hours, Will Stein - Oregon’s offensive coordinator and a former Louisville quarterback - was named the new head coach.
At just 35, he became the youngest head coach in the SEC. With a high-powered offensive background and a fresh perspective, Stein represents a bold new direction for Kentucky football.
Off the Field, a New Era in College Athletics
The changes weren’t limited to coaches and players. In 2025, the entire structure of college sports shifted with the ratification of the House settlement.
For the first time, schools are now required to directly share revenue with athletes - and it’s not a small number. Around $20 million will go to players from each school in the first year alone.
How that money is distributed? That’s up to each school. And Kentucky took a unique approach.
The university transformed its athletics department into an LLC, dubbed Champions Blue, and signed a new deal with JMI, which now serves as the school’s in-house NIL collective. While other programs still rely on outside collectives, Kentucky brought everything under one roof. It’s a bold strategy, and it’s already influencing how other schools approach the new era.
But with innovation comes tension. SEC football is the financial engine, but Kentucky basketball remains one of the most iconic brands in college sports.
Balancing those priorities - and making sure athletes across all programs feel valued - will be a challenge. And while the new system was supposed to come with “guardrails,” those guidelines aren’t legally binding.
Translation: we’re still operating in a version of the Wild West.
The Bottom Line: Change Is Here - Now Come the Expectations
There’s no denying 2025 brought sweeping change to Kentucky athletics. New coaches.
New systems. New rules.
And for fans, it was a breath of fresh air after years of frustration.
But let’s be clear - all the change in the world doesn’t mean much without results.
Kentucky men’s basketball hasn’t reached the Final Four in over a decade. The women’s team hadn’t been relevant in the SEC for years until this season.
The football program just wrapped up a 10-game home losing streak in conference play. That’s the context behind all the moves.
The hope is that 2025 was the reset button. Now, 2026 has to be the response.
Because Big Blue Nation has been patient long enough. The foundation has shifted.
The programs are retooled. The money’s flowing in new ways.
Now, it’s time to win.