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J Batt contract details are out -- and Kentucky's new AD got PAID!

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WildcatWally-77

Junior
Dec 6, 2022
95
244
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Batt will average $3 million annually, making him one of the highest-paid ADs in college sports, starting with a total of $2,600,000 in 2026-27 — $400K in base salary, $2.2M in supplemental compensation.
  • 2026 – $2.6 million
  • 2027 – $2.75 million
  • 2028 – $2.9 million
  • 2029 – $3.05 million
  • 2030 – $3.2 million
  • 2031 – $3.35 million UK will also pay his buyout with MSU, which sits at $2.5 million after dropping from $5 million following President Kevin Guskiewicz’s departure to Clemson for the same position.Only four ADs made more than $2 million last year, according to Sportico, including Penn State’s Patrick Kraft ($3.15M), Ohio State’s Gene Smith ($2.5M), Texas’s Chris Del Conte ($2.42M) and Texas Tech’s Hocutt ($2.14M).
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mhs1964

Senior
Feb 8, 2018
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You can believe this is acceptable but i think crazy as a first contract. Either way this will be a blade hanging over his neck when we go under five hundred in FB or don't make a final four in BB.
 
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KyKevin

All-Conference
Dec 28, 2021
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Think about this though, Mark Pope makes almost twice as much as his boss 😁
 
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Bluegrasskingreboot

Junior
Jul 17, 2025
226
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mhs1964 said:
You can believe this is acceptable but i think crazy as a first contract. Either way this will be a blade hanging over his neck when we go under five hundred in FB or don't make a final four in BB.
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Dude is supposedly a huge fundraiser so that salary is just a beak wetter for what he can bring in.

The coaches are in place, let him do his part so they may do their's and if they don't play out we will have a look at how he hires but wins and losses just isn't the current assignment in a nuts and bolts fashion.

I will be looking at resources, investments, and direction aka stuff that will take some time to see.
 
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KYAnywhereEverywhere

Sophomore
Oct 13, 2025
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I just don't understand UK being able to spend on the same level as much bigger or much wealthier schools. UK has nothing like the enrollment numbers or donor wealth as the University of Texas. How can it spend on a similar level? UK is not nearly as big as the University of Florida or Ohio State or ASU. Those schools are pushing twice the size as UK; how can Kentucky spend on equivalent levels, whether that's NIL or general athletics budget?

Eli had to be part of this hire. People wanted Eli to prioritize sports more. I guess this shows he was willing to. Or at least willing to say, "do what you want."
 
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mhs1964

Senior
Feb 8, 2018
415
451
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KYAnywhereEverywhere said:
I just don't understand UK being able to spend on the same level as much bigger or much wealthier schools. UK has nothing like the enrollment numbers or donor wealth as the University of Texas. How can it spend on a similar level? UK is not nearly as big as the University of Florida or Ohio State or ASU. Those schools are pushing twice the size as UK; how can Kentucky spend on equivalent levels, whether that's NIL or general athletics budget?

Eli had to be part of this hire. People wanted Eli to prioritize sports more. I guess this shows he was willing to. Or at least willing to say, "do what you want."
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Yea, this has the smell of desperation. Certainly hopes it works out.
 
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bigblueinsanity (the real)

All-American
Jul 6, 2025
2,449
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Bluegrasskingreboot said:
Dude is supposedly a huge fundraiser so that salary is just a beak wetter for what he can bring in.

The coaches are in place, let him do his part so they may do their's and if they don't play out we will have a look at how he hires but wins and losses just isn't the current assignment in a nuts and bolts fashion.

I will be looking at resources, investments, and direction aka stuff that will take some time to see.
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Depends on how he plans to raise said funds. It was pitched as he would do a much better job at raising money from boosters. However all his messaging so far is laying the foundation to raise money from fans using drip methods.

If it is the latter, fans will be irate when they figure out they're being dripped till they drown.
 
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RationalKentuckyFan

Freshman
Apr 29, 2026
69
97
18
Fleeced the University and now he's about to fleece the fans. As long as he makes Kentucky basketball a contender again I suppose I'm okay with it though. Anything to get the ninth championship.
 
TouchdownUK

TouchdownUK

Freshman
Dec 11, 2025
40
88
18
Look at the track record for handing out bad contracts around here at Kentucky. Cal's life time contract, Stoops awful contract. Not to mention what was about to happen with Mitch until the governor came out against it. UK is just continuing the trend. Apparently money does grow on tree's at the University of Kentucky.
 
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JakeKx

JakeKx

All-Conference
Oct 5, 2023
1,008
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It’s crazy how much money we’ve prioritized to sports across the country. An AD job should be 250K max at anywhere
 
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BlueSince92

BlueSince92

All-Conference
Jul 2, 2025
10,920
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Incidentally who is Duke’s AD and what does he see in them that we haven’t got?
 
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CameronCat22

Junior
Apr 12, 2026
291
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TouchdownUK said:
Look at the track record for handing out bad contracts around here at Kentucky. Cal's life time contract, Stoops awful contract. Not to mention what was about to happen with Mitch until the governor came out against it. UK is just continuing the trend. Apparently money does grow on tree's at the University of Kentucky.
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Cal’s “lifetime contract”, AKA 6 year extension with the opportunity to become ambassador for the program in retirement? It was universally celebrated at the time. Never stop laughing at how fake these brainwashed frauds are.
 
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BlueVelvetFog

BlueVelvetFog

Heisman
Apr 12, 2016
14,417
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Give Stein whatever he needs to be a contender. So far he's earned it with his recruiting efforts. Make our NIL revenue share match our conference foes would be a great start.
 
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MaysviileKY

MaysviileKY

Senior
Jul 17, 2025
438
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I looked up that Barnhart was making $1.6 mill (1.55 to be exact) and they were going to pay him $1 mill to do basically nothing. So, the $2.6 mill they are paying Batt is the exact amount they were going to pay Barnhart + another AD. Seems they already had that amount allocated.
 
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CatBearPig

All-Conference
Apr 26, 2024
846
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MaysviileKY said:
I looked up that Barnhart was making $1.6 mill (1.55 to be exact) and they were going to pay him $1 mill to do basically nothing. So, the $2.6 mill they are paying Batt is the exact amount they were going to pay Barnhart + another AD. Seems they already had that amount allocated.
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He’d have been a better AD if he would have done nothing. Mitch Barnhart damn near destroyed UK athletics.
 
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Snarks

All-American
Jan 31, 2005
8,524
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UK throws money around with crazy contracts. Then acts like they don’t have any money.
 
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