SEC fines Mark Pope and issues a 'public reprimand' for criticizing refs

Ben Roberts, Lexington Herald-Leader on Feb 24, 2026

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COLUMBIA, S.C. — Kentucky men’s basketball coach Mark Pope has been fined $25,000 by the Southeastern Conference for comments he made after the Wildcats’ loss to Auburn on Saturday.

The SEC announced the fine Tuesday afternoon, a few hours before UK was set to take on South Carolina in another road game amid the first three-game losing streak of the Pope era.

The league said Pope had been fined and “issued a public reprimand” as a result of his “postgame conduct and comments related to officiating” after Saturday’s game.

The league’s announcement referenced SEC Bylaw 10.5.3, which states that “coaches, players and support personnel shall refrain from all public criticism of officials, which shall include making public any specific communications with the Conference office and/or officiating coordinators related to officiating.”

Examples of public criticism of officials given by the league include “accusations of bias” and “implied or indirect criticism,” according to conference regulations.

Pope spent fewer than four minutes at the postgame podium Saturday night in Auburn, voicing his clear frustration over the officiating in the Cats’ 75-74 loss to the Tigers. There was a particularly controversial offensive foul called against UK guard Collin Chandler in the game’s final seconds. That play gave the ball back to Auburn, which scored the game-winning bucket with 1.2 seconds remaining.

“Well, we’re not allowed to talk about the referees,” Pope said early in the press conference. “But you guys saw it. And I think sometimes it’s just super personal. I’m not allowed to comment on the referees. I won’t comment on the referees.”

A little later, the UK coach was asked what message he would give his players after the loss.

“We refuse to give control to people that are outside of our program. Refuse,” he said. “Regardless of how personal it might get, or how bad it might get, we refuse to give control to fans, to give control to anybody else associated with this game, regardless of how blatantly people are trying to make this not happen, we refuse to give them our power. That’s what I talked about.

“... We’re not giving away our power. We’re not. Like, we don’t make excuses. We don’t do that, regardless of what is happening, regardless of how disgraceful things are. We don’t give away our power. Regardless of how embarrassing, personal, awful, like, unacceptable things are, we refuse to give away our power.”

As soon as he left the podium, Pope made another comment to UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart, who attended the game and was standing within earshot of those at the press conference.

“Mitch, if those mother-effers try to fine me, screw ’em,” Pope said to Barnhart. “Because I did not say a word about how they cheated us.”

Fines levied against schools and individuals in the SEC go to a fund supporting the league’s post-graduate scholarship program, according to the conference’s statement Tuesday.

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