Top 25 program, top 25 training facility for UK football, according to one observer

Kentucky’s football practice facilities might not have gotten much respect from Tim Tebow earlier this year, but they continue to gain standing from another outlet that ranks them as the 15th best training center in all of college football.

Brad Crawford of 247Sports.com periodically updates his list of the top college football facilities in the nation and this week moved UK up three spots in his unscientific assessment. He last published UK at No. 18 in September and had the Cats at No. 21 in 2016.

Kentucky hasn’t jumped up as much as Clemson in that time (No. 20 to No. 1), but UK’s $45 million investment hasn’t gone unnoticed, even by the doubter Tebow who was trolled by UK football’s Twitter account when he first derided its facilities on the SEC Network back in September and then changed his tune after he and “SEC Nation” got a tour two months later.

Kentucky’s improved record showed its investment has paid off, according to 247Sports.com

“See what funneling more money into football brings to the Bluegrass? Kentucky might be considered a basketball school, but the Wildcats’ $45 million upgrade to its football training facility in 2016 totaled 100,000 square feet and proves the administration believes in Mark Stoops and his steps toward the future.”

Crawford also seemed impressed with the $120 million stadium upgrade.

In the 247Sports.com survey, UK ranks ahead of such college football powers at USC and Florida State while still trailing many SEC schools, including No. 14 Auburn, No. 11 Georgia, No. 10 LSU, No. 7 South Carolina, No. 5 Tennessee, No. 4 Alabama and No. 3 Texas A&M.