Mark Pope shows his support for evolving NIL landscape at Kentucky preseason event 

Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope did not shy away from embracing NIL at the Wildcats' preseason event on Friday.

The Name, Image and Likeness rule has divided college basketball coaches into two camps — those who are figuring out how to harness it and those who are concerned about its side effects.

At the Historic Memorial Coliseum, Club Blue hosted Lexington's first-ever NIL event last week, where Pope made it clear his team is interested in the evolving landscape, putting any doubts to rest.

"I can’t tell you how unbelievably grateful I am to be at the University of Kentucky. We’re trying because, at the University of Kentucky, we need to be the flagship in every facet of the game of basketball. That’s what this place is," Pope said Friday night.

"We’re also trying to learn NIL and we’re trying 100 different ways to be great with NIL. To be able to have this event and people be so incredibly supportive — when we say this is Kentucky’s team, we mean it’s Kentucky’s team more than it’s ever been," he added.

Pope left BYU to join Kentucky this summer. In his five seasons with the Cougars, he led the team to two NCAA tournament appearances.

Mark Pope and John Calipari exchange words of respect

Kentucky coach Mark Pope and former coach John Calipari both attended SEC Media Day last week. Calipari left Kentucky to become the coach of Arkansas this offseason.

At the event, they showed mutual admiration and spoke highly of each other.

"You’ll never hear me say a negative word about Coach Cal, because there’s not a lot to say," Pope said.

"He’s a Hall of Fame coach. As a diehard Kentucky fan and alumnus and former player, I’m grateful for everything, all the incredible things that Cal accomplished at the University of Kentucky," he added.

Calipari, who led Kentucky to its most recent national championship, stated that there is no one better suited than Mark Pope to take over for him.

"I think they hired a perfect guy for that job," Calipari said. "And part of it is because he played there, graduated from there.

"He has a heart for the place, and he has an idea of what that is. ... It's a different place if you're just walking in. He's been there and understands it."

Calipari will return to Lexington on Feb.1 with Arkansas to face Pope and the Wildcats.