New Kentucky athletics director J Batt is wasting no time making himself part of the conversation around the Wildcats, and with football season arriving, he sent a message Wednesday aimed straight at Big Blue Nation.
Batt said this is his favorite stretch of the calendar, with students back on campus and Kentucky’s teams getting into competition mode. He pointed to the energy around Lexington and said he has spent his first several weeks getting to know members of the community.
On Saturday, Kentucky football will open at Kroger Field with Will Stein making his debut as head coach. Batt noted the work Stein, his staff and the student-athletes have put in to get to this point, and he said they now get the chance to play with BBN behind them.
Batt also shared that a month ago, he and Stein spent a Saturday morning visiting fans as they set up tailgates. He said that experience underscored what he and Stein believe about the program: “Our fans are the difference maker for our program.”
He added that when Kroger Field is “full, loud and united behind the Wildcats,” it gives Kentucky an edge the team can feel and opponents can’t ignore. He also pointed to Saturday’s BBN United Game and White Out as an early chance to create that kind of atmosphere.
Beyond the football field, Batt said Kentucky is continuing to work on the game-day experience at Kroger Field. He said fans will notice several new additions this season, many shaped by fan feedback, including new lower-priced concessions, local cuisine options, an updated team entrance and more in-stadium engagement.
Batt also said Kentucky will keep making the investments needed to support student-athletes as college athletics continues changing, stressing the need for the Big Blue Nation to stay united.
He then ran through the rest of the fall slate, starting with Kentucky women’s soccer, which opened the athletics calendar with a 6-0 win at the Bell Soccer Complex last month. Batt said that was the first home regular-season event he attended as athletics director. Troy Fabiano’s team will host Louisville on Thursday at The Bell, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m.
Batt also mentioned men’s soccer, which has drawn strong crowds early in the season. He thanked fans for supporting Johan Cedergren’s defending conference champions and reminded fans that regular-season home soccer matches are free.
Kentucky volleyball also got a shoutout after opening with a sweep of top-10 Wisconsin at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, then returning to Historic Memorial Coliseum for two wins. Batt said the team unveiled banners recognizing last season’s national runner-up finish, its ninth straight SEC regular-season title and the SEC Tournament championship.
He also highlighted Craig Skinner’s 500th career win, which came after Saturday’s victory. Batt called it an incredible accomplishment and said the program is looking for many more.
The volleyball team plays UCLA in HMC tonight before heading to Wrigley Field on Sunday for the end of the SEC/Big Ten Challenge.
Batt closed by noting that cross country, fall golf and tennis are coming soon, with winter sports not far behind. He said his first weeks in Lexington have been spent listening, learning and building relationships across the department, the university and the fan base, and he thanked Kentucky supporters for the welcome he and his family have received.
For Batt, the message was simple: keep engaging, keep building and let the teams get to work.
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