The Kentucky Wildcats have a showcase game at home this Saturday against the Alabama Crimson Tide. Both teams are 1-0 and Alabama comes to Lexington ranked No. 12 overall in the nation.
Head coach Will Stein is in his first season at Kentucky and got things off to a strong start with a blowout win over Youngstown State. Yet he knows Alabama is a powerhouse and made it clear to Kentucky fans the team will need them loud and engaged in the stands to help pull off the upset on the field.
He added a few other surprising directives as well.
Kentucky HC Will Stein Wants Fans Rowdy on Saturday
Tyler Thompson of Kentucky Sports Radio shared two separate Stein quotes that should have Wildcats fans thrilled for Saturday’s game.
“Sneak a flask in,” Stein said. “Do whatever you’ve got to do. Get your drinks ready.”
That is quite the message and one school administrators may not love. However, it should land with the fans very well.
“I want them in there 45 to 30 minutes before, in their seat, standing up, screaming obscenities at our opponent,” he added.
Fans now know even the head coach of the team wants them to be as rowdy as possible Saturday.
This is Stein’s first season as a head coach after spending the last three seasons as an assistant with Oregon. So he knows what a loud environment sounds like and how it can impact an opposing team.
This plea comes after Kentucky went 2-6 in the SEC under Mark Stoops last season and 1-7 in 2024. A win over Alabama would go a long way toward changing the culture for a program that hasn’t won a bowl game since the 2021 season.
A New Culture at Kentucky
Stein takes over for Stoops after the latter held his post from 2013-2025. Stoops has the most wins as head coach in school history, but never finished better than 10-3 in any season during his tenure.
The last two years were a new low as the Wildcats went a combined 9-15 with three SEC wins in that span.
Stein now shows up trying to inject some life into the program and raise them out of the basement of the SEC. His comments should certainly help to at least get fans excited for the game against Alabama and helps him come off as relatable and someone who is a fan of the game.
Will his message to the fans make a difference? The college football world will surely be tuning in to see if his Wildcats can get a boost from the fans in the quest to pull off the major upset. That would give the team a ton of confidence before a road game at Texas A&M in Week 3.
Kentucky HC Will Stein Tells Fans to ‘Sneak a Flask in’ for Alabama Game