Mark Stoops, Kentucky’s longest-tenured football coach, stood defiant after a brutal 4-8 season in 2024, vowing to turn things around. “You could take this or leave it, but I’ve never been as motivated as I am right now,” he told fans in March, his voice thick with resolve. “I do not like an ass kicking.” But Big Blue Nation seems to be leaving it. Season ticket sales for the 2025 season at Kroger Field have nosedived, down 12.7% from last year, reflecting a fanbase that’s lost faith in Stoops’ ability to deliver. With a daunting schedule ahead and a fanbase still stinging from a lackluster decade, this is the story of a program at a crossroads—and a coach fighting to win back the crowd.
BBN is fed up
The numbers don’t lie, and they’re grim. According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, Kentucky sold just 31,100 season ticket packages by May 12, 2025, a drop of 2,541 from the 2024 renewal deadline. This marks a 12.7% decline, with only 75% of 2024 ticket holders renewing compared to 82-84% in prior years. It’s the lowest sales figure since 2018’s 30,531, when Stoops’ team limped to a 7-6 finish. Despite no price hike fans aren’t buying in.
Why the exodus? Fans are fed up with mediocrity. Stoops’ 12-year tenure boasts a SEC record of 28-62 a far cry from the SEC’s elite or even mid tier. He’s notched just 10 wins against ranked opponents, less than 1 per year. The offense has been a sore spot nearly every year—Stoops has never coached a 3,000-yard passer, a feat every other SEC school has achieved at least once during his time.
The transfer of Dane Key, a lifelong Wildcat fan, to Nebraska for his final year was a gut punch. Key’s exit, alongside 29 portal departures after 2024, signals a roster in turmoil and a fanbase losing hope. A coach in year 13 talking about starting over and cleaning up the mess should never happen. He is the one who made the mess in the first place.
Stoops’ defiance meets skepticism
Stoops knows he’s on the hot seat. After a 41-14 thrashing by Louisville on November 30, 2024, he acknowledged the fanbase’s unrest: “Everyone wants to replace me right now. But I am not going anywhere. My butt will be in my office tomorrow.” He doubled down post-season: “I let it get to this point. Now I have to get us out of it.” But his guarantees haven’t moved the needle. Fans, burned by a 3-14 record against power conference foes in recent years and 11 losses in Kentucky’s last 13 SEC home games, are staying home.
Stoops’ March plea for fan support—“Our butts were in that office on Sunday and have not stopped since”—fell flat. His roster overhaul, with 24 transfer additions and 21 high school signees, aimed to reshape a team that retained just 47% of its 2024 players. Fans just are not buying in, in the same numbers.
A brutal schedule looms
Stoops faces a gauntlet in 2025, which isn’t helping ticket sales. Of Kentucky’s 12 opponents, 10 had winning records in 2024, nine played in the postseason, and three—Georgia, Tennessee, Texas—made the College Football Playoff. Kentucky’s 2025 slate, with eight potentially ranked opponents, leans too heavy, scaring off fans expecting another rough year.
Single-game ticket sales could rebound if Kentucky starts strong against Toledo or Eastern Michigan, but marquee home games against Ole Miss, Texas, Tennessee, and Florida may not sell out without early wins. Stoops has faced similar fan apathy after sluggish ticket sales for a non-conference opener, admitting he was “disappointed” despite a 10-win prior season in 2018. History suggests fans need results, not rhetoric.
Season ticket sales: A decade of ups and downs
Kentucky’s season ticket sales have fluctuated with performance, and 2025’s drop is stark. Below is a historical look, sourced from Lexington Herald-Leader:
Kentucky football season ticket sales under Mark Stoops have seen significant fluctuations since 2013, reflecting the program’s ups and downs. In 2013, Stoops’ first year, 40,868 season tickets were sold, a strong start fueled by fresh optimism. Sales dipped to 36,621 in 2014 and rebounded to 38,658 in 2015. The peak hit 40,931 in 2024, bolstered by sellouts. However, 2025 sales, at 31,100 as of May 12 is on pace for the second-lowest total in Stoops’ era, only above 2018, despite no price hikes. While sales may rise through summer, the sharp decline signals fan frustration after a 4-8 season.
Can stoops turn It around?
Stoops’ job is safe for now—a $37.5 million buyout after 2025 makes firing him unlikely. But fan trust is another story.
Stoops’ rebuild hinges on transfer talent Zach Calzada and a revamped roster. After going just 4-8 and no SEC home wins, Stoops must deliver wins, not words, to fill them again.
Why it matters
Stoops’ defiance is admirable, but Big Blue Nation’s patience is thin. The 2025 season, with its brutal schedule and skeptical fanbase, is make-or-break. Fewer fans in the stands signal a program losing its spark, and Stoops knows it: “I let it get to this point.” Whether he can dig Kentucky out remains to be seen, but for now, the empty seats at Kroger Field tell a louder story than his promises.