Kentucky officially hires a new AD, and he's prioritizing football

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Over the weekend, a candidate emerged for the vacant Kentucky Wildcats athletic director and CEO of Champions Blue positions in Jason Batt. On Monday, they made it official, hiring Batt after stints at the same position with Georgia Tech and Michigan State. He was also an assistant AD at Alabama and Maryland previously.

Batt brings a reputation as an elite fundraiser with him to Kentucky, something that was prioritized in the search. In the current landscape of college sports, generating revenue is vital, and Batt does it as well as anyone.

In a statement, Batt said:

We couldn’t be more excited to join the University of Kentucky and the Big Blue Nation. The championship standard has been established at Kentucky and we are committed to upholding that standard of excellence. Our continued success will take everyone in the Big Blue Nation, working together to provide resources to our teams and our student athletes that position them for success. With that standard as our North Star, Kentucky Athletics and Champions Blue are well positioned to deliver results in the changing landscape that is college athletics today.

Strategically, Batt has expressed the intention to prioritize Will Stein and the football program. When he took the job at Michigan State, he said, “Every athletics department competing at the highest level must be successful in football.” It’s common knowledge that football generates the most revenue among the college sports. It makes sense that a successful football program brings in more money, which means more money for other sports, like basketball.

Former Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart’s tenure ends Jun. 30, and Batt will take over. It’s an exciting change, especially for fans who had become ready for a change. Bringing more money to the school should bring more success across all programs. If so, it will be a homerun hire.

This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky Wildcats hire Jason Batt as new athletic director

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