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Fans of middling college football programs are no strangers to watching their team kickoff at noon, which can be a serious hindrance to anyone looking to milk a tailgate for all it’s worth. Neither Florida nor Kentucky falls under that particular umbrella this season, but they’ll still be facing off against each other at 12 P.M. on September 30th—and Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops seems confident fans will find a way to get their drink on.
Kentucky hasn’t won an SEC championship since 1976 (just one of two the program has secured in its history), and while Stoops hasn’t exactly transformed the team into a national powerhouse, he’s done a pretty solid job at the helm of a squad that’s made it to seven consecutive bowl games stretching back to 2016.
The Wildcats are currently sitting at 4-0 but remain unranked thanks to no small part to the caliber of the opponents they’ve defeated so far. N0. 22 Florida, on the other hand, is sitting at 3-1 (with their lone loss coming in their opening game against a Utah team that’s currently No. 10) and will be giving Kentucky their biggest challenge yet as SEC conference play begins to heat up.
Kentucky fans who head to Kroger Field for the showdown on Saturday will have around four hours to pregame, as the parking lots officially open at 8 A.M. On Monday, Stoops fielded a question at a press conference where he asked if he was concerned the relatively early kickoff time could result in a crowd that’s packing less energy than normal, but he doesn’t seem too worried based on his response.
Mark Stoops believes the #BBN will bring it for a Noon kickoff against Florida at Kroger Field.
🎥 See all of his Florida Week Press Conference: https://t.co/tCSd9Fp9S7 pic.twitter.com/Bfo3ucQgrA
— KSR (@KSRonX) September 25, 2023
Here’s what he had to say:
“I have great confidence in the people of Kentucky that can get up very early and pound some beers. Why would you disrespect this great state and the great people of it?”
The man’s got a point.