Here is what UK will pay new athletics director J Batt, what bonuses he can earn
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- UK will pay Batt $2.6 million in year one.
- Batt’s salary rises $150,000 annually, capping at $3.35 million in 2031-32.
- Batt can earn multiple cumulative incentives for academics, postseason and revenue.
New Kentucky athletics director J Batt will be paid $1 million more than UK would have owed Mitch Barnhart had he remained at the school for a 25th year.
UK will pay Batt $2.6 million in the first year of a six-year contract, according to a binding term sheet released by the school’s Office of Legal Counsel. Barnhart’s most recent UK contract would have paid him $1.55 million next year had he not decided to retire at the end of the month. Barnhart could have earned a $650,000 retention bonus in June 2027.
Barnhart’s sole title at UK was athletics director, but Batt will also carry the title of CEO of Champions Blue, the nonprofit LLC the university created last year to manage the athletics department.
Batt’s salary increases by $150,000 annually, capping at $3.35 million in the 2031-32 school year. UK must also pay the buyout owed by Batt to Michigan State, where he has worked as athletics director for the past year. The Detroit Free Press reported Batt’s buyout dropped to $2.5 million with the departure of Michigan State’s president.
The term sheet includes membership at the University Club and one other mutually agreed upon club, travel expenses for Batt and his family to UK athletic events and complementary tickets for business and personal use to UK games.
Batt can earn a variety of incentives based upon UK team performances:
- A 3.0 GPA for all teams in a semester ($100,000)
- Football participation in a playoff game ($100,000 per game, up to four games)
- Men’s basketball participation in the Final Four ($100,000 per game, up to two games)
- Women’s basketball participating in the Final Four ($100,000 per game, up to two games)
- Winning a national championship in any other sport ($100,000)
- Increasing philanthropy to athletics by 33% year over year ($150,000)
- Collaboration with president’s cabinet ($250,000)
- Achieving $250 million in annual athletics revenue ($200,000)
- Achieving $300 million in annual athletics revenue ($300,000)
The incentives are cumulative. The annual revenue bonuses can only be achieved once over the contract term, but the others can be earned annually.
Barnhart’s UK contract does not include any bonuses for revenue generation. His bonuses for team performances were deleted from the deal in 2021. Barnhart could receive a maximum of $45,000 per year for all UK teams achieving at least a 3.0 GPA.
UK would owe Batt 75% of his remaining compensation in monthly installments if it fires him without cause. Batt would owe UK 25% of his remaining annual compensation if he leaves for any reason other than retirement.
Kentucky has yet to set an official start date for Batt’s employment. Barnhart’s last day on the job is June 30, but the term sheet specifies Batt’s employment will begin “on an effective date to be determined, but no earlier than July 2026.”
This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 4:45 PM.