J Batt didn’t waste any time leaning into Kentucky’s latest surge.
After the Wildcats’ win over LSU, the new athletic director sent a letter to Big Blue Nation that was equal parts celebration and invitation: celebrate what just happened, then keep the momentum rolling. The message came on the heels of a Saturday night that brought a storm-the-field scene at Kroger Field and a $500,000 celebration bill for the department - money Batt clearly views as a worthwhile tradeoff.
Batt, who has made it a point to connect with fans since taking over this summer, titled the letter “Let’s keep building” and used it to frame the LSU win as more than just one big night. He pointed to the atmosphere around Kentucky right now as “tremendous energy” and made it clear the department wants to turn that into something lasting.
Big Blue Nation,
How about those Wildcats’ last Saturday night?
Our football team kept battling, BBN kept believing and together we celebrated a special win in Kroger Field.
What I’ll remember most is the moment we shared together as one Big Blue Nation.
Since arriving at Kentucky, we’ve said our fans are the difference maker. Saturday was another great example. When our teams and our fans are all pulling in the same direction, you can feel what makes Kentucky special.
We have so much momentum to build on right now!
Kentucky Football is 5-1 and heads into the second half of the season with a tremendous opportunity in front of us. Will Stein and the team have given BBN plenty to be excited about with unmistakable energy, competitive confidence and fearlessness that shows every time they take the field.
Kentucky Volleyball continues to electrify every arena they step foot in. Coach Skinner and the Wildcats continue to show what sustained excellence looks like, with so much still ahead this season.
This week, basketball season gets underway. Coach Pope, Coach Brooks and our teams are ready to get going, and we all know the energy Kentucky Basketball brings to Big Blue Nation. There is nothing quite like basketball season in Kentucky.
Across UK Athletics, our teams are competing, our fans are showing up and there is tremendous energy around what we are building together.
We want to keep pushing that momentum forward. And we need Big Blue Nation with us.
Batt’s letter also spelled out exactly how he wants fans to help: give, buy tickets, and raise the flag higher in whatever way they can. He urged supporters to invest in student-athletes, come to games with family and friends, wear Kentucky blue, share their Saturday experience and keep telling the story of UK Athletics.
For Batt, the message was bigger than one football win. He tied together the whole department’s current run - football at 5-1, volleyball still rolling, and basketball season opening this week - and asked fans not to sit on the sidelines while it all builds.
For us to build on our recent success, it’s imperative that no one sit this out. We need every member of Big Blue Nation to participate in the way that works for them.
There is a way everyone can help right now.
Give. Invest in our student-athletes and help us continue building championship-caliber programs across Kentucky Athletics.
Buy tickets. Show up, bring your family and friends and help create the home advantage our Wildcats deserve.
We had a whole lot of fun together Saturday. Let’s do it again.
Raise the flag higher. Whatever your connection to Kentucky, find a way to do a little more.
Wear your Kentucky blue. Bring someone with you.
Share your Saturday experience. Help tell our story.
We all have a role in keeping this momentum going.
We’re going to keep pushing ourselves to be better. We’ll challenge our coaches and student-athletes to pursue excellence, and we’ll keep listening, engaging and improving along the way. We’re asking Big Blue Nation to keep pushing with us.
Gifts and ticket purchases are incredibly important, but there are many ways everyone can play a part. Show up.
Engage. Share our story.
Find your way to join the momentum.
Last weekend showed what’s possible when we come together. Now it’s time to keep moving forward.
Let’s keep building.
There’s been no shortage of outreach around that message, either. Kentucky has also been encouraging fans to donate and buy tickets through other school channels, including pushes for season tickets for the 2027 season. Even the Kentucky Athletics and Football social accounts have been leaning into the moment, staying active and engaging with replies as the department looks to keep the buzz alive.
It’s a small thing, but it fits the theme: Batt and Kentucky are trying to turn one electric night into something much bigger.
In Other News...
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Oklahoma brings the sort of profile that can punish a team if it starts slowly, and that is why this one has drawn more attention than a routine conference preview. Kentuckys outlook is tied to whether it can match the Sooners tempo and avoid the kind of mistakes that tend to decide games like this, which is also what makes the prediction angle so interesting: the gap between what people think and what actually happens could be smaller than it appears. [Read more 🡒]
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Lance Heard has quickly become one of the more versatile pieces in Kentuckys offense, and that matters for a team looking for every edge up front. The left tackle has not allowed a sack through the first six games, but his impact has gone well beyond pass protection. Kentucky has found ways to use his size and movement skills in space, including a highlight-reel sweep against South Carolina, and the results have given the Wildcats something few offenses can say they have from the tackle spot.
His coaches have also been creative with how they deploy him, at times lining him up as a lead blocker in the backfield, a role Heard has clearly embraced. He was again part of the story in Kentuckys recent overtime win against LSU, adding another layer to a season that has already shown how valuable he can be when the Wildcats ask him to do more than the usual left tackle job. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky's Linebacker Situation Just Took Another Unexpected Turn
Kentuckys inside linebacker picture got a little clearer, at least for the moment, when Alex Afari was granted eligibility to play by a temporary injunction from Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Brian Edwards. The ruling comes amid a lawsuit challenging how the NCAA is applying its new five-year eligibility rules to players who graduated high school in 2022, and it adds another twist to a situation that has already moved through multiple legal decisions.
For Kentucky, the timing matters because Afaris status directly affects a depth chart that has been under pressure at inside linebacker. His return gives the Wildcats another option in a spot where every available body counts, even as the larger eligibility fight continues to play out in court. [Read more 🡒]