J Batt’s first day as CEO of Champions Blue, LLC and UK Athletics Director is tomorrow, Tuesday, July 28. That’s four weeks after Mitch Barnhart’s final day due to some uncertainty at Michigan State, Batt’s prior school. Still, tomorrow morning, Batt will walk into his office at the Joe Craft Center to officially clock in as the new head of UK Athletics.
What will Batt find? Unofficially, he’s probably been working ahead on some projects, but here’s a rundown of what could be on his to-do list on Tuesday morning.
Meeting BBN
Batt has already met the media, holding roundtables with local reporters after he took the job in June; however, he’s yet to be introduced to the fanbase. The first sporting events of the 2026-27 season, soccer and volleyball exhibitions, take place a week from Saturday, but there happens to be a great opportunity this week, one Batt won’t even need to leave the building for.
La Familia, Kentucky’s alumni team in The Basketball Tournament, hosts either the Kansas or Wichita State alumni teams in the semifinals at Historic Memorial Coliseum on Wednesday night. UK Athletics is putting on the event, so why not bring Batt out during a timeout? They don’t do ceremonial Ys at TBT, but this would be a good excuse to start. And what better way to get your first taste of BBN than an alumni basketball game that we probably care more about than any other fanbase in the country?…