SEC fines Kentucky's Mark Pope $25K for post-game conduct

Kentucky head coach Mark Pope has been fined $25,000 by the Southeastern Conference on Tuesday for his post-game conduct and comments related to officiating following his team's 75-74 loss at Auburn last week.

The Tigers escaped with the win on Saturday following Elyjah Freeman's tip-in with 1.1 seconds remaining in the second half. That play came on the heels of Collin Chandler being whistled for an offensive foul at the other end of the court.

In his postgame comments, Pope walked a fine line when discussing the officiating.

"We're not allowed to talk about the referees, but you guys saw it, and I think sometimes it's just super personal," Pope said. "I'm not allowed to comment on the referees. I won't comment on the referees. It's unfortunate. It didn't cost us the game."

Pope said the following to Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart as he concluded his post-game conference:

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"Mitch, if those mother F'ers try to fine me, screw 'em because I did not say a word about how they cheated us."

The league said Pope violated SEC bylaw 10.5.3 (sportsmanship) and the league's commissioner's regulation regarding public criticism of officials, which "prohibit coaches, student-athletes and institutional staff from publicly criticizing officials or disclosing officiating-related communications."

Pope also provided a pointed comment prior to that.

"We refuse to give control to people that are outside of our program. Refuse," Pope said after the loss. "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. ... 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, unacceptable things are, we refuse to give away our power."

Kentucky (17-10, 8-6 SEC) will look to snap a three-game losing streak on Tuesday when it visits South Carolina (12-15, 3-11) in Columbia, S.C.

--Field Level Media

byLiam Oneel

in

February 24, 2026

SEC fines Kentucky's Mark Pope $25K for post-game conduct

Kentucky head coach Mark Pope has been fined $25,000 by the Southeastern Conference on Tuesday for his post-game con...

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Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner Buys $1 Million Home With New Fiancée

It's been two years sinceGerry TurnerandTheresa Nistexchanged vows in their televised wedding onThe Golden Bachelor. Since then, a whole lot of nonsense has happened.

Gerry and Theresa called it quits, he wrote a tell-all book, and now, he's engaged to a new woman named Lana Sutton. As he gets ready to walk down the aisle for a third time, he and Lana just purchased a million-dollar home.

Gerry Turner and fiancée Lana Sutton are moving house

When Gerry and Theresa broke up, one ofthe many explanationswas that they couldn't agree onwhere to live. Clearly, he and Lana aren't burdened by those same problems.

According toTMZ, Gerry and Lana dropped $1 million on a home in the Chatham Village neighborhood, just outside of Indianapolis, Indiana. The house has five bedrooms, five bathrooms, and 4,455 square feet. They've got a game room, a two-story family room, and everything that they need to live a golden life.

Gerry said he and Lana toured the property a few times, but they were hesitant about putting down an offer. Then, the builder of the house called them up and helped them negotiate a deal.

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Although Gerry and Lana haven't tied the knot and don't have a wedding date locked in, they both put their names on the deed. They're 50/50 owners, soif this relationship goes southlike the last one, they're going to have something serious to fight over.

For now, the two lovebirds are enjoying their new home, all 4,455 square feet of it. Gerry took to Instagram to show off pictures of the stunning, million-dollar property.

"Ther [sic] have been many great days over the last 12 months traveling, bonding families, building a loving and fun relationship with Lana," Gerry wrote. "But yesterday was one of the very best. Finding our perfect home was an arduous journey. So gratifying to close on our new home together."

The Golden Bacheloris streaming on Hulu and Disney+.

TELL US – DO YOU HAVE ANY WORDS OF SUPPORT FOR GERRY AND LANA AS THEY SETTLE INTO THEIR NEW HOME? ARE YOU SURPRISED THAT THEY PURCHASED A HOME TOGETHER BEFORE TYING THE KNOT?

The postGolden Bachelor Gerry Turner Buys $1 Million Home With New Fiancéeappeared first onReality Tea.

byLiam Oneel

in

February 24, 2026

Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner Buys $1 Million Home With New Fiancée

It's been two years sinceGerry TurnerandTheresa Nistexchanged vows in their televised wedding onThe Golden Bachelor. Since then, a who...

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Falcons expected to release Kirk Cousins in March, adding another veteran QB to free-agent market

When the NFL's free-agent signing period opens in March, one more veteran quarterback will be added to the list of available players. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins will be released on the first day of the 2026 league year, Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham said Tuesday.

Cunningham made those comments during a local radio interview. He said hespoke to Cousins and the QB's agent about the move.

Cousins, 37, still showed some ability with the Falcons down the stretch. Following a season-ending injury to Michael Penix Jr., Cousins started the final seven games of the regular season for Atlanta. He threw for 1,471 yards, 10 touchdowns and 5 interceptions during those contests. The Falcons went 5-2 with Cousins under center down the stretch, but that wasn't good enough to push the team into the playoffs.

While Cousins already knows his fate, the Falcons will wait until March 11 — when the 2026 league year begins — to make the move for salary cap reasons.

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[Get more Falcons news: Atlanta team feed]

Once he becomes available, Cousins will join a free-agent quarterback market littered with older veterans like Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Joe Flacco. All four of those players could draw interest from teams, though none of them, with the exception of Rodgers, seems likely to be guaranteed a starting job.

Cousins turned in an excellent 12 seasons to start his NFL career, but an Achilles injury in his final season with the Minnesota Vikings cast doubt on his future. Cousins returned quickly from that injury, but struggled in his first year with the Falcons in 2024, eventually being benched for Penix.

While Cousins showed signs of life down the stretch, it's unclear whether that will lead to a significant role in 2026. The veteran might still have some ability in his right arm, and could help a team win some games next season, but he may have to compete for playing time on his new club.

byLiam Oneel

in

February 24, 2026

Falcons expected to release Kirk Cousins in March, adding another veteran QB to free-agent market

When the NFL's free-agent signing period opens in March, one more veteran quarterback will be added to the list of a...

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