@TJWalkerRadio Again takes two and Calipari didn’t make it easy for him, on purpose. Cal was trying to get fired so he would get his buyout. That you can blame on Mitch. But performance on the court is all Cal’s doing.
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Blue Hare
17 posts
Blue Hare
@BlueHare25
Anonymous fan for all things sports, politics and life.
Katılım Şubat 2014
68 Takip Edilen9 Takipçiler
@BlueHare25 Calipari winning would have kept him at UK, but the relationship with Barnhart was over in 2022, probably before. That's an embarrassing look for the athletic director.
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If only Mitch Barnhart had not totally blown it with John Calipari...
Jeff Borzello@jeffborzello
BREAKING: Duke is entering into a first-of-its-kind partnership with Amazon that includes exclusive rights to three games next season: Nov. 25: vs. UConn in Las Vegas Dec. 21: vs. Michigan at MSG Feb. 20: vs. Gonzaga in Detroit Details with @PeteThamel: espn.com/mens-college-b…
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@JonHale_HL @wildcatnews Released in President report month ago, UK’s Deloitte report (Project Champions Blue) reveals Options 3 & 4 — both dual leadership models splitting the AD from revenue/financial control. This is where they’re headed. @DogeUky68114
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Eli Capilouto talked a lot at the Champions Blue meeting this week about evaluating changes that might be needed to athletics org chart, so don’t be surprised if Kentucky ends up doing doing something similar with AD hire.
Ben Portnoy@bportnoy15
Notre Dame is set to announce a reorganization atop its athletic department beneath AD Pete Bevacqua, @SBJ has learned. More details here: sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2026/…
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@BleedBNetwork Athletics has to generate new revenue streams in this new era so things like this has to happen regardless. Either be mad at this or be mad at the price increases tickets. Fans have to adapt to this new world of athletics. Change is happening in all avenues.
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This is very interesting and worth a read.
Did a pole a while back and it was overwhelming against an entertainment district. UK is totally tone deaf to its fans and it’s really starting to get old.
UKY_DOGE@DogeUky68114
Champions Blue contractor Sasaki working on the mixed use space near Kroger field selected 4 “inspirations” with their presentation: The Battery in Atlanta, Titletown in GreenBay, Mill Avenue in Phoenix at ASU, and High Street at Ohio State. What possibly could fiscally irresponsible tone-deaf @UKYmonday have told them that these were selected? The Battery in Atlanta serves the MLB Braves fanbase. Atlanta local metro population is 6.9 million with an average income of $92,000/yr. Titletown in Green Bay is the Packers fan area. Although their local population is smaller than Lexington at only 335K with an average income of $80,000/yr, but again a state that can support a professional football team in addition to their college athletics. Mill Avenue at ASU located in Phoenix has a local metro population of 4.8 million or equal to or greater than the state of Kentucky with an average income of $81,000/yr. Finally, High Street at Ohio State has a local metro population of 2.2 million and an average income of $73,000/yr. Lexington has a local metro population of 533K and an average income of $71,000/yr across the state. We know #BBN is the best fanbase of all, but only 60-70% reside locally, because we are nationwide supporting our teams. Blue Gets In all over the country. We are the poorest of the “inspiration” states so how could we support such an area after construction? We know Monday will give those jobs to other organizations and most of the tax revenue will be realized outside of Kentucky. Ticket sales have essentially already gone up by way of discounts no longer available and what would a day at the game look like if this was the chosen future design? Parking would be near impossible and Monday contracted out the development and ownership of parking garages to an outside company so not cheap. Food and drinks which are always more from vendors will now be the only option for many and anyone who has been to a Braves game knows you need $200 plus just for food and drinks for an average family. It is economically unrealistic to think the average #BBN football fan will be able to continue to participate in the fan experience. Monday will be destroying a family tradition even if that family only gets to a single game with their child. How can football continue to be the sport bringing in all the dollars when you start pricing out a quarter or more of the fans? The people who are leading Champions, UK administrators, and our Board Chair Brockman make 10X + the average annual income of our Kentucky residents and are deciding how we proceed. Where is the average fan being represented in the process? Are they now sitting with the faculty who were removed from any input into operations decision-making? UK as a land grant institution is supposed to be representing the working state population. @UKYpres and Chair Brockman, how is allowing Eric Monday to lead our athletics legacy “Advancing Kentucky”? @lbblackford wrote recently about Lexington Arts needing investment to improve and expand for our community to enjoy. How does strapping our area with unsustainable longterm costs and reduced tax revenues due to the Monday P3 model impact the rest of our community? I have to imagine not positively. #BBN you better stand up to what is happening before you find the fiduciary irresponsible leader Monday continues to destroy our fan experience and programs.
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@BleedBNetwork Well done for what? He is still getting paid regardless. So who really won here? He just not won’t have a job but collects a paycheck.
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This also will probably lead to an outside hire at AD. Well done BBN, well done!
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I agree and apparently they are tone deaf! It’s all about the money and not about the BBN. #beggingformoney #embarassing
Michael Frazier@Mr_FrazierKY
You’re kidding, @universityofky. The nerve to even mention @UKAthletics while Kentucky taxpayers are already covering a seven-figure @UKYpres (and wife’s expense account and perks), and @UKMitchBarnhart golden parachute is beyond insulting. #BBN doesn’t need my money. It doesn’t need yours. From performance funding to lower rankings, the Capilouto administration is already taking enough. Enough is enough for #UKY
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@TemuAmyMcgrath @vaughtsviews False. They have to follow the same portal windows. Only unrestricted transfers are when a head coach change is made.
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No transfer portal open but already committed
Jeff Goodman@GoodmanHoops
Belmont senior Tyler Lundblade, who led the Bruins in scoring, was Missouri Valley MVP, told @TheFieldOf68 that he has committed to Tennessee. The 6-5 Lundblade, one of the top shooters in the country, averaged 15.6 points and shot 41% from 3 this season and 48% from deep a year ago.
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@AllUKBall_HPS The president is not required to get board approval for jobs he creates or hires for. The board oversight is of the president and his job evaluation.
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New position completely made up out of the blue.
Do not believe it was created or approved by the board (correct me if wrong).
Refuse to answer questions about the position, outside of some BS press conference.
I’m not a big conspiracy theorist guy but this gets you thinking 🕵️
UKY_DOGE@DogeUky68114
What if Mitch Barnhart has actually pulled off the most epic Boss move even Office Space didn't script? Monday has historically moved people out of their current position to an "advisory" position for considerable pay while buying their silence ahem Mark Newman. What if Barnhart was being forced out in a similar way and said sure for $950,000, tickets, etc and predicting the reaction he just played into it? This is not a post about whether you think Barnhart did a good job or a bad job, but about the shady backroom deals.
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@BleedBNetwork Cal didn’t leave. He played bad hand, cost himself $40M and ended up at Arkansas. Can assure none of his staff or him wanted to leave. His rhetoric is to make himself look good. Kentucky isn’t behind and didn’t stop investing in basketball.
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Cal takes an obvious shot at Mitch Barnhart and UK administration.
We’ve said for over a year now Cal left due to Mitch and the administrations failures when it comes to NIL and forward thinking.
Mitch Barnhart receiving a $950K golden parachute and not being fired shows you the rot at the core of the UK administration and athletic department.
Sam Vecenie@Sam_Vecenie
The idea of “administrations win championships, coaches win games" is EXACTLY right in today's NCAA basketball ecosystem. Think Calipari absolutely nailed this.
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@KySportsRadio So you don’t think this information sent out that shows the planning and thinking behind this is sufficient? There are 4 pathways to the leadership that even incudes the idea of two leaders and not just one. uknow.uky.edu/campus-news/ca…
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Even if you think this is true (and I don’t), if the University wants the fans to get behind the new AD and believe in them, having confidence in how they were selected is pretty important
Zachary@zachary_bbn
@KySportsRadio They are not required to do any of that. An athletic director search isn’t supposed to be some public viewing experience. If you’re going to get upset about (the many) issues within the athletic department, make it a real one.
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@Mrkentuckykats @BleedBNetwork The university formed the LLC and moved athletics under it as they did with hospitals. The chairman of the board for the athletics LLC is the president of the university. The LLC reports to the overall university board of trustees.
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@BlueHare25 @BleedBNetwork Literally athletics because they formed that llc nonsense and are separate from the university
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This is another Mitch masterclass in tone deaf “leadership”. This plan would eliminate Green Lot and most of Red Lot. Basically eliminating the majority of tailgating spots we know today.
There’s plenty of other ways to generate revenue. But to Mitch, it’s his way or the highway and the common fan be damned.
Jon Hale@JonHale_HL
NEW: At last week’s athletics committee meeting, UK gave the first look at what the Kroger Field entertainment district could look like. Here are the four preliminary options under consideration. kentucky.com/sports/college…
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@BleedBNetwork Athletics is the cover book. Takes the heat. Do some more research and find out who is really behind all these projects. This is a university wide project. Anyone asked who will actually get the revenue? Is it Athletics or is it University? Who truly benefits here?
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@BlueHare25 Odd that it’s the athletic department leading it then huh?
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@activistbettor @RoushKSR UK does not restrict outside NIL deals and helps athletes facilitate those deals. That is a false narrative created by agents.
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@RoushKSR doesn’t say anything about Learfield restricting players’ ability to make their own NIL deals. idk, I’m not the sports journalist here, but that seems kind of important.
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This week, Ohio State announced a restructured partnership with Learfield, one that mirrors Kentucky's deal with JMI.
Like Kentucky basketball, Ohio State football is in the process of bringing NIL collectives in-house.
on3.com/teams/kentucky…
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@BleedBNetwork Hi there, me again. I’m just gonna reply with this link again where another school is doing the same thing. Also, will ask again, why didn’t those recruits sign with their other top two schools instead of opening it back up?
uwbadgers.com/news/2025/12/1…
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Here’s the easiest way to sum up the NIL situation.
Sports is a copy cat sport. If you do something well. Everyone else will try it to.
UK is the ONLY P4 school doing NIL this way. Nobody else is copying it. That’s your big fat red flag if you take nothing else away from this situation.
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@WinterSportsLaw Schools are playing with fire. Just like IRS shut down tax deductions for collectives, they could target athletic departments/universities/foundations next—risking tax-exempt status & killing deductions for athletic gifts. Donor funding isn’t a sustainable business model for NIL.
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Before July 1, 2025, collectives served as the pass through for donor $ to college athletes.
Now, schools/foundations are the pass through for donor $.
Only thing that’s changed is who is paying & who gets the NIL services/rights.
As I told KC, this makes fundraising easier.
KC Smurthwaite@KcSmurthwaite
"Creative Accounting" | How the revenue share era is moving money around.💲💡 It’s still a pay-for-play world, just rebranded — with the same shell games under a shinier name.🗒️ nil-wire.com/p/creative-acc…
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