As Kentucky enters its sixth season under coach Mark Stoops, the longest-tenured head coach in the SEC East, many in the media are wondering if the Wildcats are about to turn the corner and become a contender in the division. A big part of taking the next step means snapping a 31-year losing skid to Florida, a topic Stoops and TE C.J. Conrad were both asked about at Monday’s kickoff of SEC Media Days.

Stoops was asked about the need to beat the Gators during his televised podium session.

“You know, my answer, first three or four years, I really wasn’t concerned about it,” Stoops said. “I’m trying to build a culture at Kentucky and win games and get in position, but you do hear it. You can’t hide from the elephant in the room. It’s been a long time. We need to beat Florida, but we need to beat a lot of teams on our schedule.”

The Wildcats have come close twice during Stoops’ tenure. UF needed triple overtime to win 36-30 at home in 2014. Last season, Florida rallied from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter to come away with a 28-27 victory in Lexington. While most teams only talk about their first game during the offseason, TE C.J. Conrad told the Orlando Sentinel’s Edgar Thompson that the opportunity to snap the streak on Sept. 8 has been on his teammates’ minds this offseason.

“Having them in Week 2, we’re excited,” Conrad told Thompson. “No one wants to lose to the same team 30 years in a row.

“It’s something we’re thinking about and super excited about,” he added. “That’s motivated us all summer no doubt about it.”