Does any horse industry money get invested in UK sports

[KYAnywhereEverywhere]

I saw ths idea presented in the thread about Duke's roster, that Kentucky has more money to spend on sports than fans realize because of the money tied to the horse racing industry. Is there any truth to that?

Duke has the wealthy and powerful alumni powering it's wheels (plus Nike/Amazon/ESPN). Honestly, I think if you were once a Duke student you are also a Duke basketball fan. The two things are intrinsically tied together; they're branded together.

Central Kentucky has money, a lot of money, but a lot of that money is coming from investment from around the world in the racehorse industry. The people with that money aren't necessarily or even commonly people with direct ties to the university. However, the money being spent on basketball and football has to be coming from somewhere and it certainly isn't the average fan. Is it partly the horse racing/horse farm industry that's helping fuel UK sports and if so does that mean UK has more to spend on the two revenue sports than commonly assumed?

 

[LineSkiCat14]

Even with the horse industry.. I cant see how Kentucky basketball would ever have more money to tap into than Duke. North Carolina as a state has more money, duke has a larger endowment, their alumni make more (although there's not as many of them) and, maybe more important than anything, they have ESPN and NCAA in their pocket.

 

[Cats4321]

I don't know for sure, but I assume the horse industry is a major factor for NIL. I have to believe that's why you see pictures of the recruits at Keeneland and you see references to Keeneland all around Kentucky sports. Glad you brought this up, because I've been curious about this connection as well.

I know that a super wealthy family,with horse racing connections, was in pictures with Calipari several years ago(before NIL). I don't think they had ties to UK directly, but they were inside the sports facilities.

 

[KYAnywhereEverywhere]

Even with the horse industry.. I cant see how Kentucky basketball would ever have more money to tap into than Duke. North Carolina as a state has more money, duke has a larger endowment, their alumni make more (although there's not as many of them) and, maybe more important than anything, they have ESPN and NCAA in their pocket.

I phrased my opening sentence weird. I didn't mean that UK has more to spend than Duke. I don't think that's in any way true. I meant that I saw the idea that UK has a lot of money because of the horserace industry originally written out in the thread about Duke's roster

 

[Anon668007]

I just asked AI about and much was mentioned of many industries but not horse racing. But it also stated UK has certain restrictions on Adult themed partnerships. But is gambling restricted? No one knows, UK does not release details of these contributions

 

[Johnnie Africa]

No, not true at all. Horse industry people don’t contribute much if any at all.

 

[JwUKFan11]

Duke's roster is so loaded with talent, I can't see a world where anybody is outspending them.

 

[BookofMormon]

Meet the IronDukes. I'm not totally sure who they are, but it's an organized Booster Club.

New 2025-26 Iron Dukes Priority Groups! - Duke University

New 2025-26 Priority Groups!

goduke.com

Hard to know what is going on, they are so tight lipped about it. So is a program like UConn, nothing leaks out of those two places.

Meanwhile at Arkansas, you have their paparazzi chasing Cal's planes, lol and they have "sources" on all their visits feeding the newsline updates.

 

[UKBB4Ever]

Horse industry people are the engine that drives UK athletics. Especially basketball.

UK cannot be outbid for a player. And UK has not been outbid for a player. UK has one $8 billion donor. And she also has ties to the horse industry.

 

[katwest]

We have the Horse industry and most of the Bourbon industry, I’ve always wondered how much if any we got from either one. You would think that both would contribute to our sports programs.

 

[Chadrock]

Horse industry people are the engine that drives UK athletics. Especially basketball.

UK cannot be outbid for a player. And UK has not been outbid for a player. UK has one $8 billion donor. And she also has ties to the horse industry.

Would love to see that principle applied to UK football.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

I phrased my opening sentence weird. I didn't mean that UK has more to spend than Duke. I don't think that's in any way true. I meant that I saw the idea that UK has a lot of money because of the horserace industry originally written out in the thread about Duke's roster

Yeah i guess theres a lot more people here who could answer that specifically. Sure seems like a gpod industry to have to take into, along with the bourbon industry.

I think horse racing/equestrian is THE most expensive youth activity/sport to partake in, more than skiing, hockey, etc. Which reminds me to start telling my daughter thay we are never going horse back riding.

 

[CRZ4UK]

No, not true at all. Horse industry people don’t contribute much if any at all.

The richest person in Kentucky is Tamara Guffteson. She moved here for horse racing. She has donated to the academic side but I’ve never seen her linked to UK athletics. Stinks because she is worth 9 billion. 18 times more money than the crafts.

 

[Cats4321]

The richest person in Kentucky is Tamara Guffteson. She moved here for horse racing. She has donated to the academic side but I’ve never seen her linked to UK athletics. Stinks because she is worth 9 billion. 18 times more money than the crafts.

That's the family I mentioned earlier. No idea if they donate or not, but there was a picture of family members with Calipari inside the practice facility several years ago.

 

[Anon1760448236]

Horse industry people are the engine that drives UK athletics. Especially basketball.

UK cannot be outbid for a player. And UK has not been outbid for a player. UK has one $8 billion donor. And she also has ties to the horse industry.

 

[Anon1760448236]

Joe Craft is not in the horseracing industry...what about the bourbon industry?

 

[RationalKentuckyFan]

Unfortunately OP and many here are exactly right. Kentucky doesn't have the money that Duke has which is why they won't be able to have the success that Duke has..You can put the blame on the coach, JMI or whoever and whatever you want but the truth is Kentucky just doesn't have the resources to compete with the top tier schools like Duke in this generation on a consistent basis. They can still occasionally win but the days of them being a perennial contender are over.

NIL has completely changed the game and Kentucky is never going to have the success it once did. It's why people need to change their expectations. No one is going to come and save Kentucky and give them the kind of consistent success they experienced before NIL.

 

[megablue]

The richest person in Kentucky is Tamara Guffteson. She moved here for horse racing. She has donated to the academic side but I’ve never seen her linked to UK athletics. Stinks because she is worth 9 billion. 18 times more money than the crafts.

Bill Gatton was a native Kentuckian and UK alumnus. I do not recall any mention of him supporting UK athletics. He may have, though ...

Bill Gatton - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The Bill Gatton Foundation

The Bill Gatton Foundation honors the life and legacy of Carol Martin “Bill” Gatton, a successful businessman, generous philanthropist, and bridge builder.

www.billgattonfoundation.org

 

[SenseMaker_Cats]

Who’s right and who’s wrong? UKBBNever, who thinks UK has unlimited amounts of money or IrrationalKentucky fan that thinks UK basketball is over?

Will you morons stop acting like you “know” anything? Makes you look ridiculous.

 

[UK4Life#9]

Unfortunately OP and many here are exactly right. Kentucky doesn't have the money that Duke has which is why they won't be able to have the success that Duke has..You can put the blame on the coach, JMI or whoever and whatever you want but the truth is Kentucky just doesn't have the resources to compete with the top tier schools like Duke in this generation on a consistent basis. They can still occasionally win but the days of them being a perennial contender are over.

NIL has completely changed the game and Kentucky is never going to have the success it once did. It's why people need to change their expectations. No one is going to come and save Kentucky and give them the kind of consistent success they experienced before NIL.

Literally the dumbest thing that’s EVER been written on here and that’s really saying something.

 

[mhs1964]

Who’s right and who’s wrong? UKBBNever, who thinks UK has unlimited amounts of money or IrrationalKentucky fan that thinks UK basketball is over?

Will you morons stop acting like you “know” anything? Makes you look ridiculous.

Like most things it’s somewhere in between

 

[OGtruebluewildcat]

It’s an idea. However, the sheiks, Royals, rich Asians with ties to horse industry aren’t interested in sports patronage. At least local/regional collegiate sports.

One thing that has always hurt Lexington and surrounding area is it has never been very pro growth.

There’s a lot of wealth in Lexington, but it’s old money that doesn’t really want to be bothered by new money.

The “not in my back yard” dna runs strong in Kentucky generally speaking but specifically around Lexington.

Surrounding states and their big cities have grown rapidly. Kentucky people and politicians local and state have been resistant.

Louisville and western part of state to bowling green has been better with progress and growth but still could improve.

Not to take the discussion of the rails with a hot button issue but data centers are a perfect example. Folks that’s a lot of jobs. That’s construction, trades, IT, engineering, mechanical stuff, plumbing, HVAC, etc…all fields that are paying good money. Guess what 20-40 year olds with money do? Specifically young men. They spend money on sports!

They spend money period. In the community. They buy trucks from dealers. They buy houses. They start families.

But I digress. Economics and demographic discussions and why more people making more money is ultimately a good thing is a topic for another thread that no longer exists.

 

[legalbeagle123]

Yes, there are numerous people in the horse industry who also contribute to UK Athletics.

 

[chroix]

There are a ton of horse people that contribute but also a ton of them that fly in for races and have no connection to the area than that is where their horse farm is located. I met one a number of years ago who had never physically touched money because he didn't need to. If he wanted something he told his person to get it for him and moved on with his day. The richest of them are a class removed from the things the rest of us ever think about.

 

[TFCat11]

Would love to see that principle applied to UK football.

The fact that it’s not, completely disproves that poster’s claims! According to him, Stein should have no problem outspending OSU, Texas, Oregon etc.

And the same could be said for Pope outspending Duke, Arkansas, and Florida etc.

UK has $$$, but not THAT type of money!

 

[KyWilson239]

I have never understood why collectives fund raise only vs taking some of the pool of money, investing for growth and allowing that to mature for future spend

 

[Pygmy Sasquatch]

The fact that it’s not, completely disproves that poster’s claims! According to him, Stein should have no problem outspending OSU, Texas, Oregon etc.

And the same could be said for Pope outspending Duke, Arkansas, and Florida etc.

UK has $$$, but not THAT type of money!

Phil Knight just donated $1 billion to Oregon to establish a college of engineering. That's on top of two separate donations of $500 million in 2016 and 2021.

That's deep pockets.

ETA:

The University of Oregon has received a $1 billion donation from Nike co-founder and UO alumnus Phil Knight and his wife, Penny, to establish an engineering college in Eugene. It’s the largest gift ever given to a comprehensive public university, according to UO.

The college is intended to educate engineers and applied scientists in bioengineering and other fields, attract high-quality faculty and researchers, and speed the pipeline from the laboratory to the marketplace.

“To make an audacious dream a reality requires more than a vivid imagination,” Phil Knight, a 1959 graduate of UO, said in a statement. “It also requires the sort of opportunity that our great American universities, both public and private, have historically provided. This is no time to abandon them.”

The new college will be located on the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact, which was created by two previous $500 million contributions from the Knights, one in 2016 and the other in 2021. Those gifts inspired additional support from the state, industry partners foundations and other donors, the university said.

 

[KYAnywhereEverywhere]

Phil Knight just donated $1 billion to Oregon to establish a college of engineering. That's on top of two separate donations of $500 million in 2016 and 2021.

That's deep pockets.

ETA:

The University of Oregon has received a $1 billion donation from Nike co-founder and UO alumnus Phil Knight and his wife, Penny, to establish an engineering college in Eugene. It’s the largest gift ever given to a comprehensive public university, according to UO.

The college is intended to educate engineers and applied scientists in bioengineering and other fields, attract high-quality faculty and researchers, and speed the pipeline from the laboratory to the marketplace.

“To make an audacious dream a reality requires more than a vivid imagination,” Phil Knight, a 1959 graduate of UO, said in a statement. “It also requires the sort of opportunity that our great American universities, both public and private, have historically provided. This is no time to abandon them.”

The new college will be located on the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact, which was created by two previous $500 million contributions from the Knights, one in 2016 and the other in 2021. Those gifts inspired additional support from the state, industry partners foundations and other donors, the university said.

Holy chit

 

[Pygmy Sasquatch]

Holy chit

On top of that he contributes to Oregon athletics and their NIL program.

 

[Cats4321]

The fact that it’s not, completely disproves that poster’s claims! According to him, Stein should have no problem outspending OSU, Texas, Oregon etc.

And the same could be said for Pope outspending Duke, Arkansas, and Florida etc.

UK has $$$, but not THAT type of money!

Two different sports and different levels of enthusiasm for Kentucky football versus basketball. JMI can leverage the huge basketball brand to secure NIL money. It's probably much easier to get people to donate money for Kentucky basketball. If I won a billion dollars, most of my donations would go to basketball until we prove we can actually win in football.

We probably have an average NIL budget for football, but we are almost universally considered among the very top programs in basketball NIL. Probably only a few teams that actually outspend us on basketball...we never had a money problem before NIL either.

 

[Buckwheat Otay Is Dead]

No, not true at all. Horse industry people don’t contribute much if any at all.

You must not be from KY. Claiborne and Hancock major $$$$$.

 

[Littlecreek10]

Kentucky has a lot of former players in the NBA. Is there any effort to try to use them for a source of NIL money? If UK doesn't at least try our former coach might get them to funnel money to his present school.

 

[BlueVelvetFog]

Would love to see that principle applied to UK football.

Just win and they will donate.

 

[bigblueinsanity (the real)]

I just asked AI about and much was mentioned of many industries but not horse racing. But it also stated UK has certain restrictions on Adult themed partnerships. But is gambling restricted? No one knows, UK does not release details of these contributions

Unless it changed, Mitch and others requested the state law bar relationships with alcohol or gambling. I don't think horse racing is included because Levis had some deal with a horse farm.

As it relates to duke, no one can touch them. Sucks but how it is. They have more dark money than anyone else has total money. They'll just get whomever they select until there is something done to level the playing field.

 

[Johnnie Africa]

You must not be from KY. Claiborne and Hancock major $$$$$.

Buddy I have no idea and neither does anyone here. I just posted like I knew and it was a fact because that’s what every other idiot on the internet does.

 

[Pygmy Sasquatch]

Unless it changed, Mitch and others requested the state law bar relationships with alcohol or gambling. I don't think horse racing is included because Levis had some deal with a horse farm.

As it relates to duke, no one can touch them. Sucks but how it is. They have more dark money than anyone else has total money. They'll just get whomever they select until there is something done to level the playing field.

Sounds about right for Mitch. He was after that apple juice and Hi-C NIL.