Kentucky football is no stranger to being overlooked, underestimated, or outright dismissed by the broader SEC media. Year after year, the Wildcats find themselves climbing uphill in a conference loaded with traditional powerhouses like Alabama, Georgia, and LSU. But 2025’s SEC Media Days served up a particularly sobering reminder that respect in the Southeastern Conference isn’t given—it’s earned in grueling, unforgiving battles on Saturdays. And based on the preseason media poll results, Kentucky apparently hasn’t earned enough just yet.
The SEC media, comprised of beat writers, broadcasters, and analysts who cover the league year-round, voted Kentucky near the bottom of the SEC East—again. It wasn’t just a slight dip or modest skepticism. It was a cold, biting rebuke of a program that has, by most objective measures, made tangible progress under head coach Mark Stoops. Yet, despite several bowl appearances, a modernized offense, and talent development that has sent multiple players to the NFL, the Wildcats remain an afterthought in the eyes of the pundits.
This isn’t new territory for Kentucky, but that doesn’t make the sting any less sharp. For Stoops and his staff, the message from media days was clear: whatever momentum they think they’ve built in Lexington hasn’t yet translated into real belief across the rest of the league. Perhaps even more frustrating is the fact that programs with more internal dysfunction or less recent success—like Florida, Auburn, or South Carolina—still consistently get the benefit of the doubt in preseason chatter.
The Wildcats have tried to shake the narrative that they’re a basketball school playing dress-up on fall Saturdays. And under Stoops, there has been some success in changing perception. From back-to-back ten-win seasons to producing NFL draft picks on both sides of the ball, Kentucky football has built a résumé that would command respect in many other conferences. But the SEC isn’t any other conference. It’s a battlefield of brands, and Kentucky, for all its fight and resolve, continues to trail in national and regional reputation.
Dig a little deeper, and it’s not hard to see why media voters are skeptical. Last season, Kentucky’s offense sputtered in key matchups, and their inability to consistently move the ball or protect their quarterback put a heavy burden on the defense. The Wildcats finished the season 7-6, losing five of their last seven games, including a crushing defeat to Clemson in the Gator Bowl. While the final record was above .500, it felt like a step back from the program’s loftier aspirations.
This offseason brought its fair share of changes, particularly at quarterback. Devin Leary’s departure opened the door for a new signal-caller to take over, and while there’s hope around the development of young talent like Cutter Boley, it’s clear the media is viewing Kentucky’s quarterback situation as a major question mark heading into the fall. No proven star, no buzzworthy transfer, and no momentum from last season meant Kentucky entered Hoover, Alabama, already playing from behind.
The offensive line, once a staple of the Wildcats’ identity, also drew criticism in 2024. The “Big Blue Wall” that had anchored their run-heavy offense in years past appeared shaky, allowing too many sacks and failing to create the push needed against elite SEC defensive fronts. The media, always hungry for tangible evidence of improvement, didn’t see enough to suggest that Kentucky had solved that problem.
Defense has long been Stoops’ bread and butter, and to the team’s credit, they’ve maintained respectability on that side of the ball. But in today’s SEC, good defense alone doesn’t elevate programs. Teams must be able to light up the scoreboard and sustain long drives, especially against juggernauts like Georgia or Tennessee, who are capable of scoring 30-plus points on a bad day. Kentucky’s inability to keep pace in those matchups has become a recurring storyline. The media hasn’t forgotten that.
Adding to the skepticism is the strength of the SEC East this year. Georgia is once again a national title contender with a reloaded roster and perhaps the best defensive front in the country. Tennessee has arguably the conference’s most electrifying quarterback in Nico Iamaleava, and Missouri—last year’s surprise success—returns a stable of offensive weapons. Even South Carolina, with Spencer Rattler now off to the NFL, is expected to be more dynamic offensively with a new scheme under a revamped staff. In that crowded and competitive landscape, Kentucky doesn’t just need to be good—they need to be exceptional to stand out. The media doesn’t think they’re there yet.
What stings most about these rankings is not just where Kentucky was placed, but how definitively they were dismissed. In the SEC preseason poll, the Wildcats received almost no first-place votes, few top-three placements, and a consensus placing them closer to the bottom of the East than the top. For a team that views itself as steadily ascending under Stoops, this was a blow to the collective pride of the program.
But the beauty of college football—and especially the SEC—is that preseason predictions often mean very little once the games begin. Teams rise and fall every season based on performance, health, and locker room chemistry. Kentucky may have been dealt a losing hand by the media, but they still control the cards once the season starts. Stoops has often used doubt as fuel, turning perceived disrespect into rallying cries that echo through the locker room and motivate players who feel overlooked.
One thing the media can’t measure is culture. Kentucky’s locker room, by all accounts, remains tight-knit and focused. Players like Trevin Wallace, Deone Walker, and Barion Brown have spoken openly about their belief in the program’s direction and their readiness to prove doubters wrong. There’s no panic in Lexington—only resolve.
There’s also a healthy sense of self-awareness within the coaching staff. Stoops has acknowledged that last season was disappointing, and he’s not sugarcoating the team’s need to be better in the trenches, more explosive offensively, and more consistent in execution. Offensive coordinator Liam Coen is back with an opportunity to bring more balance and innovation to a unit that too often stalled in key moments. The potential for improvement is real, and if Coen can help unlock it, Kentucky could once again become a dark horse in the East.
This year’s schedule offers plenty of opportunity for statement wins. A September showdown with South Carolina looms as an early tone-setter, and matchups against Florida, Missouri, and Tennessee all carry the potential for program-defining victories. Kentucky won’t be favored in many of those games, but that’s nothing new. They’ve made a habit of punching above their weight when expectations are lowest.
At some point, though, Kentucky must turn promise into results. The frustration among fans isn’t just about media disrespect—it’s about feeling stuck in the middle. Too good to be an SEC doormat, but not yet powerful enough to consistently challenge the league’s elites. That’s the next step for Stoops and this program: not just earning bowl eligibility, but threatening for divisional crowns, playing in New Year’s Six games, and turning heads nationally.
Respect in the SEC doesn’t come easily, and media perception is notoriously slow to change. But every season brings a new chance to rewrite the narrative. Kentucky may not be picked to win the East. They may not have the flashiest quarterback or the deepest roster. But what they do have is a coach who believes, a locker room that’s bought in, and a fanbase that’s hungry for more.
So yes, the SEC media may have delivered a gut punch to Kentucky football this preseason. But the season is long, the games are still to be played, and no amount of preseason ink can stop a determined team from flipping the script. Kentucky’s not asking for respect anymore. They’re planning to take it.
