The Athletic explores “The Mark Stoops dilemma,” examining whether Kentucky football has reached its ceiling under Stoops. The piece questions if the program is plateauing and whether the Wildcats are stuck between consistent success and taking the next step.

Mark Stoops’ contract and the massive buyout tied to it has become a national storyline. Following Kentucky’s 35-14 road loss to No. 12 Georgia, Stoops is under increased scrutiny, especially after denying reports that he previously tried to renegotiate his buyout clause with athletic director Mitch Barnhart.

On Saturday night, Stoops’ situation took center stage in The Athletic, where staff writer Seth Emerson published a piece titled “The Mark Stoops Dilemma.” The article examined the head coach’s standing within the Kentucky football program amid the team’s struggles on the field.

Emerson highlighted the financial implications of Stoops’ contract, noting that if Kentucky were to fire Stoops at the end of the current season, the school would owe him nearly $40 million an amount that would need to be paid in full within just 60 days.

So far, athletic director Mitch Barnhart has given no public sign that Mark Stoops’ job is in jeopardy this season. However, Emerson points out that if Kentucky were to consider parting ways with Stoops, the enormous buyout would present a serious obstacle.

He questions whether the school might eventually reach a point where paying the buyout becomes preferable to enduring declining fan enthusiasm and the financial setbacks tied to waning support. The decision, Emerson suggests, could come down to balancing competitive stagnation against the heavy cost of a change.

In closing, Emerson asks the crucial question: if Kentucky ever chose to move on, how would the athletic department gather nearly $40 million to fund Stoops’ buyout and would they consider it worth the gamble?

For Kentucky fans, nothing Emerson highlighted was particularly new. The hefty buyout and the challenges of paying it off have been a familiar talking point within the Big Blue Nation for quite some time.

Still, with each loss the Wildcats suffer, that discussion is gaining volume and spreading beyond Kentucky’s borders. National outlets are beginning to spotlight the tension surrounding Stoops’ future, reflecting a growing sense of unease about the program’s direction.

The Wildcats now head into another bye week, but the road ahead looks daunting. Without a dramatic turnaround, the possibility of a winless SEC campaign and a three-win season remains very real.

The Athletic isn’t alone in spotlighting Mark Stoops’ situation. The story has climbed to one of the top headlines on ESPN’s main page, signaling that the discussion has firmly entered the national spotlight.

Yahoo! Sports senior writer Dan Wolken also addressed the issue in his weekly “Misery Index” column on Sunday, naming Stoops right at the top of his list. Wolken questioned whether a long tenure without major success inevitably leads to stagnation for both coach and program.

“The Misery Index is a firm believer in the idea coaches should not stay anywhere longer than a decade unless they are winning national championships,” Wolken wrote. He added that over time, coaches can lose their edge, fans grow tired of the same narratives, and sometimes both parties benefit from a fresh start. Pointing to Stoops’ record of just one win in his last 12 SEC games, Wolken suggested that an amicable split might ultimately serve everyone best.