A big blue bombshell dropped Thursday afternoon. In a column for The Athletic, Kyle Tucker quoted UK hoops coach John Calipari in a bit of a jaw-dropping comment:

"This is a basketball school. Alabama is a football school. So is Georgia. No disrespect to our football team. I hope they win 10 games and go to bowls. But this is a basketball school."

John Calipari wants his practice facility ASAP.https://t.co/0zlHJxlXmT

— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_ATH) August 11, 2022

Yes, the context was Calipari’s attempt to induce UK’s athletic department to double down in the never ending arms race for bigger and better facilities. But the sentiment … well, it turned heads. Like Mark Stoops’.

Basketball school? I thought we competed in the SEC? #4straightpostseasonwins https://t.co/xUoKmUeonH

— Mark Stoops (@UKCoachStoops) August 11, 2022

And from there, it was a Twitter free-for-all. Current athletes and coaches, past athletes and coaches, media personnel, everybody except Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear had a hot take to drop in this surprising and oddly-timed debate. Some background is probably in order to help contextualize this particular battle.

The high point of Kentucky’s relatively meager football history was the tenure of Paul “Bear” Bryant in Lexington. Kentucky’s coach from 1946 to 1953, Bryant led Kentucky to 60 wins, 3 bowl wins, and an 11-1 season in 1950, which is probably Kentucky’s best season ever. He left Lexington for Texas A&M for uncertain reasons. Many believed then — and believe now — that Bryant was forced out in a power play by Kentucky hoops coach Adolph Rupp, who won 3 NCAA Tournament titles during Bryant’s time at UK.

Between Bryant’s departure after the 1953 season and the arrival of Mark Stoops in 2013, Kentucky won 10 games exactly once — a 10-1 season in 1977. Kentucky split an SEC football title once, in 1976. But for much of the time, Kentucky football struggled through 4-7 type seasons as pundits chortled at how football was simply a warm-up activity for Kentucky’s fan base to get down to basketball business.

Or course, Stoops has changed that narrative. Twice in the past 4 seasons, he led Kentucky to 10-win seasons and Citrus Bowl victories. Now the second-longest tenured head coach in the SEC, Stoops opens the 2022 season 1 win behind Bryant’s UK victory record, and having won 4 consecutive bowl games.

But Calipari has also changed that narrative. After 4 Final Four appearances in his first 6 seasons in Lexington, including a 2012 NCAA Tournament title, Coach Cal’s mojo has gone missing. Kentucky’s 9-16 season in 2020-21 was the team’s first losing record since Eddie Sutton’s 13-19 season in 1988-89 (which — coupled with NCAA violations — got Sutton fired). A 26-7 regular season in 2021-22 seemed to have UK back on track, but the No. 2 seed Wildcats fell to No. 15 seed St. Peter’s in a massive NCAA Tournament upset.

All of which made Calipari’s rant the more surprising. It would be one thing for the 2012 edition of Calipari — fresh, sparkling championship ring in hand — to complain about inferior facilities and throw shade at UK football. But the recent success — for once — is on football’s side of the table.

Of course, Calipari isn’t wrong in a historical sense. Kentucky has been a basketball school. The rafters full of banners in Rupp Arena tell the story. But under Mitch Barnhart’s tutelage, the Wildcats have shown impressive results in rifle, track, women’s basketball, and yes, even football. And the point where Calipari threw shade at Stoops and company was — simply put — wrong.

His comments seem to suggest first that 10 wins a bowl victory is a ceiling for Stoops. Yes, it’s a level that UK hasn’t reached often. But having pulled the feat twice in 4 years, Stoops has the Wildcats looking at bigger goals — goals like those that the Calipari-labeled football schools of Alabama and Georgia pull off. The comments also seem to suggest that basketball is big business at UK, while football, like all the other sports, is just a welcome distraction between National Signing Day and Big Blue Madness.

For his part, Stoops’s return fire had an interesting subtext. Pointing out the 4 consecutive bowl victories felt like a passive-aggressive way of noting the St. Peter’s upset of the basketball Cats last March, and perhaps the horrifying season of the previous year.

But the real loser here is, frankly, everybody.

The rest of the SEC's football coaches have got to love John Calipari publicly saying Kentucky is a basketball school

— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) August 11, 2022

Completely out of the blue question but has the Kentucky football team ever lost to St.Peters? ?

— Max Duffy (@Max__Duffy) August 11, 2022

Calipari’s (at best) ill-conceived comments (and those of his Twitter defenders) remind football recruits that Kentucky’s historical toehold in the league has been in basketball, and that even those nice little 10-win seasons and bowl victories don’t change that for a certain portion of the UK fan base. They suggested an implicit ceiling for the football team and contrasted Stoops’ squad from “real” football schools like Alabama and Georgia. It certainly trivializes the turn-around Stoops has engineered in Lexington.

Stoops’ response (and the social media support that followed) reminds basketball fans that the past 2 basketball years have been massive disappointments and that Stoops has led Kentucky football to 6 consecutive bowl appearances since Calipari’s last Final Four appearance. While Calipari has struggled with 5-star recruits, Stoops has built 2-star and 3-star recruits into nationally competitive teams. It also reminds us that the basketball coach took to the media to complain about facilities (rather than privately raise the issue with the Athletic Director) and “threatened” to raise funds himself as he’s bitter about football potentially obtaining an indoor practice facility in the meanwhile.

The whole situation starts to feel a little bit like Rupp and Bryant revisited, except for a couple of things. One is that Calipari — if he ever was — isn’t looking much like Rupp circa 1953 in terms of title wins. The other is that Stoops has Kentucky football on better footing than it’s been since Bryant. So if everybody loses in Thursday’s odd power play from Calipari, Calipari has the potential of ending up as the ultimate loser in the whole odd affair.

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Calipari is feeling the heat. UK has still been successful in Basketball, but they are not the dominate force they once were in the SEC. Other schools like my Vols, Arkansas, LSU, and even Bama to name a few are consistently pushing UK. Not a good look from Calipari, especially since the UK football program has been very competitive of late.

I agree, maybe Cal needs to look in the mirror.

Spot on! He is feeling the heat and having some jealousy. Should have never been said.

They may not be the dominant force they were but that doesn’t make him wrong. They’re still a basketball school. Duke football has made 6 bowl games over the last 10 years (coincidentally the same number as KY), has that suddenly unseated them as a basketball school? No, no it hasn’t.

Of course he is right, but why did he have to make that comment? Because he is just arrogant and wanted to flex a little at the expense of another team at his school? Just low class.

If I was the AD and seen that, I would have sent him a text, my office..ten minutes

Loved the tweet from the football player saying this from the coach that lost in the first round to St. Peter’s!

I was assigned to the UK Army ROTC program for two years and loved every minute of it. Stop bickering and get it together, no one else is going to do it for you. Get ready for Georgia’s visit, it will likely be UGA’s toughest game of the season.

In Basketball? Didn’t UGa get rid of their Basketball program? LOL

People have been using that joke for Tennessee football for the last 20 years.

The worst team in SEC basketball history lol

And still Georgia has won the SEC in basketball more recently than Tennessee has in football.

You hillbillies had a few good years in football 25 years ago. Who give’s a rats arse about basketball. It’s a bore. The three pointer ruined the game. I quit watching it long ago. When the hillbillies make it to Final 4 let me know.

And still the worst season in SEC history hahah rednecks…

I must admit, I didn’t see Tom Crean coming in and doing a “crash and burn.” I was around for the Wade Houston debacle at UT many moons ago, so don’t throw rocks.

Not throwing rocks, it was more of a joke. Facts are facts though that UGa has the worst team in SEC history last year. Just really wanted to point that out.

Although Stoops has built a very good football program, at the end of the day Kentucky is still a basketball school. Stoops can talk about 10 win seasons and making it to the postseason 4 yrs in a row but at no point in time has his team ever truly competed for an SEC championship. And you can say what you want about Coach Cal as a human being, but he has won championships at Kentucky and has actually won meaningful basketball games during his tenure.

That’s true. However, considering how both teams are trending, I would say Cal’s timing on this is pretty bad. Stoops just got a deal with Barnhart to upgrade the indoor football facility and I think Coach Cal may be pushing too hard for an upgrade to the basketball facility. Should have discussed this privately with the AD. The bb facility is fine for the time being. A leaky roof can be fixed.

This kind of feud helps neither the football or basketball team.

That pretty much sums up my thinking on this subject.

I don’t know this for sure but I bet football is more profitable than basketball at UK. Do you happen to know the numbers? UK has been a basketball school but you can only live on reputation for so long. Calipari has been on a downhill slide and gravity is hard to change.

It’s not close. Football brings in way more money. The divide will only get bigger with the new media rights deal.

I’ve looked at their published financials. Football dwarfs basketball.

worst thing he did was get this in the media instead of keeping it in house. Football program has been starved forever up there in the Bluegrass, they FINALLY get it really rolling and NOW he wants to whine?? Geez.

If UK is still a basketball school, it’s much less those than even 10 years ago. Stoops is helping to change the narrative.

A significant potion of the younger generation is more in football than basketball. Football is the future for UK.

The most surprising news to me in all of this is that UK’s basketball facilities are outdated.

Calipari is a seasoned coach who has been through the wars. No matter what his intentions were, there is no excuse for what he. Stoops has every right to be livid — as do Kentucky fans. This is more than just a bad, bad look (which it is). This is bad for both football and basketball recruiting. Calipari should be reprimanded by the school. Of course that would not happen in public.

I gave up my basketball tickets of 25 years because of Cal. Poor scheduling, one and dones, and now, with Sharpe, none and dones! His constant screaming and yelling, being dismissive of the fans has worn out his welcome with me.. before this. Stoops has been nothing but solid, consistent, determined and gracious. Worst move we ever made was giving Cal a lifetime contract. Stoops has done WAY more with less, while Cal has done way LESS with more. UK basketball can’t draw 70K in 4 games now much less in one. Easy choice for most UK fans to make now if Cal really wants us to choose. He can ride off into the sunset and will keep Mark, Vince and the gang for sure.

No program should EVER be giving out that kind of contract. You get STUCK!

I think Calipari better tread lightly. It is not just the last 2 seasons that basketball has disappointed. I have a good friend that lives up there and he bleeds KY basketball. He was big on Calipari but he said he didn’t think anyone would mind seeing him go now

I’d pump the brakes on that sentiment. True, not a good look, but you don’t run off a coach that the school gave a “lifetime contract” to without the school looking worse than Calipari. Get the BB facilities in order and tell Cal to mind his mouth. If Cal isn’t winning consistently, then make a change. My $0.02.

I would think Barnhart would read him the riot act for getting this in the press.

He can’t fire him and with Cal, who can get a word in edgewise. He simply cannot be fired with his lifetime contract. He will be a lifetime “ambassador” for the university at 1 million per year when HE decides to stop coaching. Cal IS the riot act, especially on the sidelines. The only way for him to leave is if the FANS fire him by not attending and booing him like we did to get rid of others in the past. Not likely to happen, esp if he has a good season. Starting with his knelling at the Anthem at Florida, he has just lost the majority of the fan base. I gave up my bball tickets because of him and will not attend another game as long as he is the coach. I will root for the Cats and always bleed blue, but I do not support a coach like Cal. I would NEVER give up my football seats however.

“Coach Cal’s mojo has gone missing.”

Such a tone deaf public post from a coach who has made entirely sure that he is not beloved is so very telling. A few years ago one could not give away UK football tickets. For the last few years one cannot give away UK basketball tickets. We keep ours because of the family members who still want to go to a game or two, and we split the season with another family. If it were up to us they would’ve been gone years ago, even though we could never get our seats back. So many missteps, as mentioned by other posters, and more. Cal better watch himself or history might reverse itself instead of repeat itself this time.

One thing four sure is that when someone says to you “no disrespect” they’re getting ready to disrespect you. Every time.

I think everyone is forgetting the impact that conference realignment had on historically basketball-first schools. We all watched as Kansas was almost left out if the Big 12 dissolved when we picked up A&M and Missouri. Back then was a wake up call for schools like Duke, UNC, and yes, even UK. We all learned that cash was king and football makes a lot more money than basketball. Ever since, UK (like several others) have dedicated more resources to the football program.

This message from Cal probably came after multiple internal discussions with Barthart but the simple truth is that football (financially speaking) has a higher ROI than basketball.

Football is the driver of the Ca$h train in college athletics. Without football many of the minor sports teams would be eliminated.

I’d argue it is easier to find five guys that want to be one and done in basketball than five at least 44 quality football players. Shut up Cal.

Cal has absolutely blown up the program the past few years. He is losing the fan base and is jealous of Stoops success. I am not giving up on Cal but he better figure it out quick.

Stoops should have said….We hope Cal wins 10 games each year too considering her won 9 just a few years ago.

This is toxicity creeping into the athletic program via Calipari’s massive ego.

The St. Peter’s loss was the worst coaching performance I have ever seen and I’ve had about enough of Cal.

Me thinks it’s a publicity stunt… and its a good one too…

I don’t think so. It’s detrimental to UK athletics in general.

I think it’s his last recourse to remain dominant at UK. It’ll fail, but could pull the football program down with him. Stoops is right to be upset. Is going to be played on repeat by non-Kentucky football recruiters for several years to come.

I think you are correct. I don’t know how much damage to the football program it will actually cause, but it is, at the least, putting the entire athletic department and administration in a bad light. It shows that it IS a house divided, and that the basketball program assumes they have primacy of place. This has been part of the problem for Ky for decades. The top football players do not want to play at a place where they are considered second class citizens, or the poor stepchildren. This just makes Stoop’s job recruiting harder. Also, if nothing happens to Calipari, if he is not forced to a public apology at the least, it is going to show who really runs the athletic department and who gets the funds when they want or need them.

All I hear is “Why don’t they like me as much as Coach Stoops?” This guy comes off as petty more than anything.

If Cal did not have that monstrous Buyout he would already ben fired. Buyouts like that and Jimbo’s at A & M should not ever, ever have been allowed.

The ironic reality is that if Calipari gets the facilities upgrades he wants, it will be football money that pays for the same.

Joe, maybe Coach Cal should not have said it, but he is not wrong. Florida has back to back basketball championships, but they’re still a football school.

If you live in the past, UK is a football school. If you live in the now and present, football is outshining basketball. The senior students at UK this year has never seen the basketball team win a game in the NCAA tournament. This is a first since the 1950s when only the conference champ went to the tourney. Meanwhile, they have seen 3 bowl victories.

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