With a plethora of changes coming to college football this year, the SEC announced yet another rule modification for the 2024-25 season regarding policy around injury reporting.

The rule change requires teams to submit “availability reports” on Wednesday of game weeks that list players as available, probable, questionable, doubtful or out.  

Teams must submit additional reports on Thursday, Friday and 90 minutes before kickoff to accurately indicate any changes in availability, with the final report 90 minutes before kickoff acting as the final say on a player’s availability.  

When it comes to Kentucky, the change is one that head coach Mark Stoops welcomes, saying that timely and accurate injury reporting is nothing new for the Wildcats.  

“I’ve been pretty forthcoming with that over the years,” Stoops said. “I support it, I think there will be clarity.” 

Of all the implications that come with the new rule change, Stoops is focused on how it will affect how he and his team prepare for game days, especially when it comes to opposing personnel.  

“When we play other teams, it will be good to know where they stand,” Stoops said. “There’s game time decisions and that still could happen. It will happen.” 

All of the steps taken by the SEC when it comes to modifying personnel reporting have been a part of an initiative to model its availability reports after those done in the NFL.  

The SEC has reported that teams who do not follow procedures when it comes to timely and accurate injury reporting will be subject to fines stretching from $25,000 for the first violation to $100,000 fines for teams with three or more violations.

Changes in the availability reporting will also be applied to men’s and women’s basketball, with the SEC acting as the second of the power four conferences, behind the Big 10, to require injury reports.