Inside Mark Stoops’ massive buyout at Kentucky negotiations

Kentucky v Louisville | Caleb Bowlin/GettyImagesIf you ever needed proof that college football is big business, Mark Stoops’ separation agreement from Kentucky should do the trick.

Key numbers:

Employment officially ended December 1, 2025

Total severance: $37,687,500

Initial lump sum: $3,937,500 within 15 days

Then: $6.75 million per year, paid quarterly, from 2026 through 2030

Final payment hits in April 2031

No mitigation, Stoops keeps every dollar, no matter what he earns elsewhere

In other words, Kentucky will be cutting Mark Stoops checks for more than five more years after he coached his last game in Lexington. And he gave them absolutely no discount at all to the Cats, who will pay every…