Toggle sidebar

Pope is really bad but he can’t be THIS bad. JMI

Wunky

Wunky

Heisman
Jan 16, 2021
4,402
18,354
78
Someone explain again how the JMI deal differs from football to basketball?

I don’t care how cringe and dorky Pope is. Pat Kelsey is cringe and dorky AF too and has never accomplished anything either and it isn’t stopping them from landing dudes. We supposedly have all this money yet kids won’t sign here because they aren’t allowed to make ADDITIONAL money, is that right?

UK basketball is dead last in the NIL era and it isn’t even close. It’s absolutely disgraceful. Mitch hired a woefully unqualified coach, then handcuffed him with the worst deal in college sports history, just to enrich himself. And we thought CAL was a carpetbagger. I was beyond tired of Cal at the end, but he had one thing right: he knew Mitch was a self-serving POS.
 
  • Like
Reactions: enimapod, KYSouthpaw, KOF98 and 13 others
Vek96

Vek96

All-American
Jul 4, 2025
2,633
5,469
113
This has to be the JMI deal that imbecile Barnhart screwed us with. If it’s not, than Pope has to be intentionally sabotaging our program. No one can strikeout this many times in a row. It’s impossible if you really have the money.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ky_Bred_Cat, *Fox2Monk* and TFCat11
DudahUK

DudahUK

Heisman
Jul 23, 2020
6,995
11,099
113
Wunky said:
Someone explain again how the JMI deal differs from football to basketball?

I don’t care how cringe and dorky Pope is. Pat Kelsey is cringe and dorky AF too and has never accomplished anything either and it isn’t stopping them from landing dudes. We supposedly have all this money yet kids won’t sign here because they aren’t allowed to make ADDITIONAL money, is that right?

UK basketball is dead last in the NIL era and it isn’t even close. It’s absolutely disgraceful. Mitch hired a woefully unqualified coach, then handcuffed him with the worst deal in college sports history, just to enrich himself. And we thought CAL was a carpetbagger. I was beyond tired of Cal at the end, but he had one thing right: he knew Mitch was a self-serving POS.
Click to expand...
From what I understand. Football NIL is mostly paid through the $15 million out of $22 or whatever million that schools have to pay each year. Some big time FB prospects might be different but they for the most part get paid through that so it’s binding.

With bball, since they only have like $5 million or whatever to spend, a lot of money has to be raised via actual NIL sponsorship and I guess JMI has some kind of clauses that players and agents don’t like.

TLDR: who the **** knows man?
 
  • Like
Reactions: enimapod, KYAnywhereEverywhere, BlueSince92 and 5 others
TFCat11

TFCat11

Heisman
Mar 25, 2019
6,179
11,315
108
Vek96 said:
No one can strikeout this many times in a row. It’s impossible if you really have the money.
Click to expand...
But, ENTIRELY possible if you don’t actually have the money!

It’s the only logical explanation left. Everything else is just making excuses at this point.
 
DudahUK

DudahUK

Heisman
Jul 23, 2020
6,995
11,099
113
TFCat11 said:
But, ENTIRELY possible if you don’t actually have the money!

It’s the only logical explanation left. Everything else is just making excuses at this point.
Click to expand...
I doubt he has the money this year. Why would he? Would you pay for this product? It’s like Malones trying to sell a steak for $50 that they got from the dollar store.

plus, it’s beyond obvious he is a garbage recruiter. Dude couldn’t recruit fish to water.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kantucke_rivals and Feral Manatee
F

Farsight Clone

All-American
Aug 30, 2025
2,836
5,618
103
The hits keep on coming.

Just a reminder there is no way Pope will survive his third year unless he magically gets a final 4.

Also, the new AD, hopefully won't put up with this crap and will let him go either mid season or end of year 3.

Pope can't recruit guys. He's not the guy.

If you can't recruit, you better be a dang good coach to develop.

He has not shown he can do either.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bigbluegoo, Wildcatjedi, DudahUK and 5 others
B

bigblueinsanity (the real)

All-American
Jul 6, 2025
2,295
6,655
113
DudahUK said:
From what I understand. Football NIL is mostly paid through the $15 million out of $22 or whatever million that schools have to pay each year. Some big time FB prospects might be different but they for the most part get paid through that so it’s binding.

With bball, since they only have like $5 million or whatever to spend, a lot of money has to be raised via actual NIL sponsorship and I guess JMI has some kind of clauses that players and agents don’t like.

TLDR: who the **** knows man?
Click to expand...

Rev share and nil are two different pockets. Even with rev share, jmi has the logo use on lockdown in every use, so its the same for both. THAT part isn't unusual. The part that was unusual was their refusal to be flexible on some things.

Stein is finding a way to punch way above where we should. Meanwhile Pope is dumpster diving and cant even get a hit there.

So jmi doesn't help. They just aren't the absolute barrier we were told.

The craziest part of the whole thing isn't that UK signed such a deal. After all, nil and rev share was new and they had to go some direction. The insane part is the 15 years. You just cannot go all in like that in a speculative field. Its insane and at best malpractice.
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: KYAnywhereEverywhere, Oboro95, rivercatinfl and 5 others
U

UKBB4Ever

All-Conference
Jul 3, 2025
2,005
3,517
113
It’s 100% Pope.

If he was doing well in other areas and only falling short short here you could look for a reason.

But he’s failing this bad at every part of the job.

And he’s the only coach at UK having this problem.

Players are taking less money to not play for him.

I do agree that he can’t be this bad at everything. He has to be trying to get fired.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Anon1776024529, Wildcatjedi, coalBucket and 3 others
DudahUK

DudahUK

Heisman
Jul 23, 2020
6,995
11,099
113
bigblueinsanity (the real) said:
Rev share and nil are two different pockets. Even with rev share, jmi has the logo use on lockdown in every use, so its the same for both. THAT part isn't unusual. The part that was unusual was their refusal to be flexible on some things.

Stein is finding a way to punch way above where we should. Meanwhile Pope is dumpster diving and cant even get a hit there.

So jmi doesn't help. They just aren't the absolute barrier we were told.

The craziest part of the whole thing isn't that UK signed such a deal. After all, nil and rev share was new and they had to go some direction. The insane part is the 15 years. You just cannot go all in like that in a speculative field. Its insane and at best malpractice.
Click to expand...
Oh 100 percent. Is it surprising though coming from this administration? I just posted kinda what I gathered on what I heard and read. I could be 100 percent wrong and that would not shock me at all. lol. Popes a joke, regardless.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bigblueinsanity (the real)
CRZ4UK

CRZ4UK

Heisman
Jun 6, 2008
5,027
10,029
103
Wunky said:
Someone explain again how the JMI deal differs from football to basketball?

I don’t care how cringe and dorky Pope is. Pat Kelsey is cringe and dorky AF too and has never accomplished anything either and it isn’t stopping them from landing dudes. We supposedly have all this money yet kids won’t sign here because they aren’t allowed to make ADDITIONAL money, is that right?

UK basketball is dead last in the NIL era and it isn’t even close. It’s absolutely disgraceful. Mitch hired a woefully unqualified coach, then handcuffed him with the worst deal in college sports history, just to enrich himself. And we thought CAL was a carpetbagger. I was beyond tired of Cal at the end, but he had one thing right: he knew Mitch was a self-serving POS.
Click to expand...
Buddy I’ll tell you what I see and have heard. First Football. I know everyone is excited for Stein but Football isn’t pulling in elite recruits. We did just sign a great QB, but when all is said and done we will rank around last in the SEC where we always do. Steins first class was rated right where Stoops classes were. We are not now or never have been recruiting with the big boys in football. That is a fairy tale.
Basketball we were in the last 2 for the top ranked recruit in the country. The top 50 in football won’t even talk to Kentucky. Minus one or two.
We are not signing elite recruits in Football.
We are not signing elite recruits in basketball.
JMI is a huge disadvantage.
What I have heard is JMI presents a NIL package to our recruits. A lot of the package is not cash. Our corporate partners have real estate so part of our package is an apartment free of charge leased to you by our partner. Value 12,0000. Paul Miller offers to lease a vehicle to the recruit for a year. Value 13,000. Etc,,, They offer a country club membership. Value1000. Levis took that. He played golf.
That’s a lot of restrictions. What if I don’t like the area, what if I’m a Toyota guy? What if I don’t play golf.
Other schools have collective and say …. here is 25k taxes paid go buy yourself a car and get you an apartment. Agents also can’t take a piece of a vehicle lease. The cash value is lower for agents this way.
JMI is in this to make money. Not to win. Collectives are ran to win.
Those that say other schools have deals like JMI are uninformed. JMI used to own our media rights. Same as others. Mitch, in the last contract gave them our media rights and sold them our NIL rights. I have not heard of any other schools giving NIL negotiations to a private company. Only us. If you are the only person throwing underhanded in baseball and getting crushed, what would you say is causing the losing? A dorky coach, or the only team to pitch underhanded.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
  • Wow
  • Sad
Reactions: KYSouthpaw, PastorofMuppets82, KYAnywhereEverywhere and 8 others
Ash Williams

Ash Williams

Heisman
Aug 3, 2022
8,354
26,593
113
kelsey looks like an even uglier Eric Swalwell. How any teenage recruits want to come play for him is incomprehensible.

Pope is just screwed.
 
Artlaibesghost

Artlaibesghost

All-Conference
Nov 30, 2022
1,091
2,172
113
After reading the thread it is pretty obvious that nobody really knows what the problem is. Obviously Pope seems to have some relatability problems. It is also apparent that the JMI deal is a contributor. The fact that nobody outside of a few know how much money we have to pay players is also a problem. How does a public university not have to disclose how much they pay players. That should be a matter of public record should it not? It sure would clear up alot of confusion if we knew how much , or how little was available.
 
  • Like
Reactions: KYAnywhereEverywhere
AllBall

AllBall

All-American
May 5, 2015
4,874
6,392
93
Wunky said:
Someone explain again how the JMI deal differs from football to basketball?

I don’t care how cringe and dorky Pope is. Pat Kelsey is cringe and dorky AF too and has never accomplished anything either and it isn’t stopping them from landing dudes. We supposedly have all this money yet kids won’t sign here because they aren’t allowed to make ADDITIONAL money, is that right?

UK basketball is dead last in the NIL era and it isn’t even close. It’s absolutely disgraceful. Mitch hired a woefully unqualified coach, then handcuffed him with the worst deal in college sports history, just to enrich himself. And we thought CAL was a carpetbagger. I was beyond tired of Cal at the end, but he had one thing right: he knew Mitch was a self-serving POS.
Click to expand...
UL has baaaank now. Alani energy sold for like 2 billion and they are big supporters to the basketball program. I heard in the neighborhood of 100+ mil. Kelsey is like the little guy from Austin Powers now 😂.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Anon470511
W

Wildcat_in_DC

All-Conference
Nov 25, 2025
846
1,320
93
when there is something you dont understand or cant explain its human nature to believe in the conspiracy theories. its impossible to believe that pope is just that terrible at recruiting so JMI deal HAS to be a major contributor.

but the simplest explanation is often the correct one. pope is that terrible. over the past 2+ years pope has largely failed at every key moment of his tenure. almost every key decision has been the wrong one. if people wont to complain about JMI have at it. or not having a GM. but this is on pope.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cerberus, Skyguyb27, Wildcatjedi and 1 other person
rick64

rick64

Heisman
Jan 25, 2007
24,895
34,501
113
The way I heard it explained is that if a player signs their own NIL deal on their own they're not allowed to utilize the UK brand due to the JMI agreement. Something along those lines I believe. Who knows UK won't explain anything.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ZaytovenCat
ZaytovenCat

ZaytovenCat

All-American
Apr 25, 2013
24,053
8,822
97
The top guys we get in football are getting paid about the same as a bench player on the basketball team. There’s no issue getting the football guys paid. Even if part of the money has to come from NIL, none of our guys are big enough that they already have their own sponsors or would get major sponsors. So they have no issue just taking whatever deals JMI has them take.

The top guys in basketball are asking $3-7 million. UK doesn’t have the rev share to pay that so it has to be done through NIL. These guys are big enough that they already have deals (Nike/Stokes) or that they’ll get deals on their own (Crocs/Collins). They don’t like being limited to only signing deals with JMI affiliates (Collins basically said this) and it’s also been said that money that UK has offered isn’t 100% guaranteed (Rob Wright). So why would they come to a place where their NIL opportunities are limited or their money isn’t all guaranteed when they can just go somewhere that will let them sign NIL deals with whoever they want and will fully guarantee their NIL?

This is the reason we have to overpay to get anyone to come here. As big of a dork as Pope is, even he wouldn’t whiff this much if JMI wasn’t hamstringing things.
 
  • Like
Reactions: preacherfan, KYAnywhereEverywhere, fisherscatfan and 3 others
ZaytovenCat

ZaytovenCat

All-American
Apr 25, 2013
24,053
8,822
97
rick64 said:
The way I heard it explained is that if a player signs their own NIL deal on their own they're not allowed to utilize the UK brand due to the JMI agreement. Something along those lines I believe. Who knows UK won't explain anything.
Click to expand...
You’re right. And if they aren’t allowed to use the UK branding then they aren’t worth as much which hurts their earning potential.
 
  • Like
Reactions: fisherscatfan and rivercatinfl
travisbickle

travisbickle

All-Conference
Jan 4, 2022
447
1,372
93
ZaytovenCat said:
You’re right. And if they aren’t allowed to use the UK branding then they aren’t worth as much which hurts their earning potential.
Click to expand...
You mean every kid doesn’t grow up dreaming of playing for the Blue Team?
 
Last edited:
travisbickle

travisbickle

All-Conference
Jan 4, 2022
447
1,372
93
Pope is definitely a dorky dad joke kind of guy. But I never see anyone mention that he actually played in the NBA for almost a decade. That has to count for something right? Very few active coaches at high majors can say they actually played in the NBA and know what it’s like. He should be able to sell UK and playing for two ex-pros counting Mo Williams, who actually had a great NBA career while Pope was mostly a bench warmer. But he still achieved the same thing most of these players want. It’s baffling.

As others have stated this can’t be all about Pope being weird or dorky.

And if it’s JMI then we have way bigger things to worry about than Mark Pope saying things are “beautiful”. People are fond of saying he whiffs; get ready for 15 years of whiffs if JMI is truly the heart of the problem.
 
  • Like
Reactions: gbl97, Johnnie Africa, Crestcat and 1 other person
B

Bluegrasskingreboot

Sophomore
Jul 17, 2025
121
125
43
I think the dynamics are different in the general marketability of the players in the respective sports.

JMI may offer NIL opportunities most position players in a sport with helmets on all the time and rotations where whomever may be on the field for the glory (or invisable producing no revenue sports) are fortunate to find for themselves making the deals offered relatively attractive.

Then we can lean more heavily on the revenue share staying competitive or better in the quarterback market too while in basketball everyone is or at least thinks they are a starting quarterback, even the better bench guys.

There we have a tougher matchup against more free wheeling "here is the money" programs especially if the less straightforward deals we have also come with any restrictions on outside marketing even if the total value is higher.

Complexity often generates discomfort or even distrust.

They probably aren't killing a majority.of recruitments but in a low margin for error and highly competitive situation one or three out of ten is still a rough stumbling block to overcome especially when you are already running in cement shoes to start but probably cramping the style of even the best at least a little bit.
 
B

bigblueinsanity (the real)

All-American
Jul 6, 2025
2,295
6,655
113
ZaytovenCat said:
The top guys we get in football are getting paid about the same as a bench player on the basketball team. There’s no issue getting the football guys paid. Even if part of the money has to come from NIL, none of our guys are big enough that they already have their own sponsors or would get major sponsors. So they have no issue just taking whatever deals JMI has them take.

The top guys in basketball are asking $3-7 million. UK doesn’t have the rev share to pay that so it has to be done through NIL. These guys are big enough that they already have deals (Nike/Stokes) or that they’ll get deals on their own (Crocs/Collins). They don’t like being limited to only signing deals with JMI affiliates (Collins basically said this) and it’s also been said that money that UK has offered isn’t 100% guaranteed (Rob Wright). So why would they come to a place where their NIL opportunities are limited or their money isn’t all guaranteed when they can just go somewhere that will let them sign NIL deals with whoever they want and will fully guarantee their NIL?

This is the reason we have to overpay to get anyone to come here. As big of a dork as Pope is, even he wouldn’t whiff this much if JMI wasn’t hamstringing things.
Click to expand...

Jmi has logo use is locked down across the board, no matter if its nil, rev share, or a flea market tshirt business.

This is standard for any college or pro team. What isn't standard is their difficulty in being flexible. Initially they wouldn't bend at all. Now they'll bend some but not like other schools.

So ya it doesn't help but its far from the main issue.
 
T

Tim0808

All-Conference
Apr 4, 2013
895
1,370
93
CRZ4UK said:
Buddy I’ll tell you what I see and have heard. First Football. I know everyone is excited for Stein but Football isn’t pulling in elite recruits. We did just sign a great QB, but when all is said and done we will rank around last in the SEC where we always do. Steins first class was rated right where Stoops classes were. We are not now or never have been recruiting with the big boys in football. That is a fairy tale.
Basketball we were in the last 2 for the top ranked recruit in the country. The top 50 in football won’t even talk to Kentucky. Minus one or two.
We are not signing elite recruits in Football.
We are not signing elite recruits in basketball.
JMI is a huge disadvantage.
What I have heard is JMI presents a NIL package to our recruits. A lot of the package is not cash. Our corporate partners have real estate so part of our package is an apartment free of charge leased to you by our partner. Value 12,0000. Paul Miller offers to lease a vehicle to the recruit for a year. Value 13,000. Etc,,, They offer a country club membership. Value1000. Levis took that. He played golf.
That’s a lot of restrictions. What if I don’t like the area, what if I’m a Toyota guy? What if I don’t play golf.
Other schools have collective and say …. here is 25k taxes paid go buy yourself a car and get you an apartment. Agents also can’t take a piece of a vehicle lease. The cash value is lower for agents this way.
JMI is in this to make money. Not to win. Collectives are ran to win.
Those that say other schools have deals like JMI are uninformed. JMI used to own our media rights. Same as others. Mitch, in the last contract gave them our media rights and sold them our NIL rights. I have not heard of any other schools giving NIL negotiations to a private company. Only us. If you are the only person throwing underhanded in baseball and getting crushed, what would you say is causing the losing? A dorky coach, or the only team to pitch underhanded.
Click to expand...
pass some of that stuff to me
 
ZaytovenCat

ZaytovenCat

All-American
Apr 25, 2013
24,053
8,822
97
Tim0808 said:
pass some of that stuff to me
Click to expand...
Everything he said is fact. Mitch thought he was being innovative selling our nil rights to JMI but the fact is that not a single other school has done what we have. The closest thing is some schools have their media partners handle some of their nil stuff BUT they also still have their own outside collective that the media partners have nothing to do with and aren’t bound to all the BS hoops that the media partner makes you jump through for your money.
 
A

Anon1776024529

Junior
Apr 12, 2026
185
264
63
If it’s JMI, and they have been signed to us since 2014, and NIL started in the summer of 2021, then Calipari’s recruiting must have went down as well, correct? The class of 21 was ranked 2 in high school, class of 22 was ranked 3, class of 23 was ranked 1. Why did JMI hurt pope and not Calipari? Did Mitch sabatoge pope because he loves and misses Calipari so much, or does pope just freaking suck at his job in all aspects! The latter seems more plausible to me.
 
A

Anon1776024529

Junior
Apr 12, 2026
185
264
63
BlueSince92 said:
I hope at the end of this all Mark Pope writes a big ******G tell-all about JMI and MB. And maybe EC. Not that he will. But I can hope.
Click to expand...
He will also blame the players like he did all season long this year, because he doesn’t know how to take accountability.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom