Aug. 14- Mitch Barnhart, Director of Athletics, University of Kentucky

MITCH BARNHART WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND DUE TO ILLNESS.

THE CLUB WAS FORTUNATE TO HEAR FROM MARC HILL, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY.

Rotary in Review

 UK ATHLETICS AND THE CHANGING WORLD OF INTERCOLLEGIATE SPORTS

 It is a familiar sight in sports:  the star athlete goes down with an injury and an eager substitute gets thrown into the action on short notice and saves the day.  Such was the case at our Club meeting two weeks ago, as Marc Hill, Deputy Director of Athletics at the University of Kentucky, spoke in place of scheduled speaker UK’s Director of Athletics, Mitch Barnhart, who was unable to address the Club due to illness.  Hill, who has been at UK for nearly twenty-seven years, had roots with the Wildcats before he moved to Lexington.  He played football at Iowa Wesleyan University for the legendary Hal Mumme, who was famous for coaching the “Air Raid Offense” at UK from 1997 to 2000.

Hill began by noting that Barnhart is the longest-serving athletics director in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and second longest in Division I.  Under his leadership, a number of staff have gone on to become athletics directors at all levels, including four at SEC institutions—Alabama, Auburn, Florida, and Oklahoma.

Hill remarked that the mission of Rotary parallels the philosophy of intercollegiate athletics at UK.  He mentioned that presence, perseverance, and partnership are fundamental to college athletics.  The end result of the student-athlete process is to produce productive citizens, a goal that is often lost at other Division I institutions.  He thanked Rotary for all of the work its members have done in the community, especially the Toyota Bluegrass Miracle League field at Shillito Park, a field used by kids year-round.

Following a summary of the status of the fall sports, Hill dove into the major landscape changes impacting all of the sports programs.  First up was the six-year extension of UK’s multimedia rights partnership with JMI Sports through 2040, which could result in $465 million in revenue to the athletic department.  On a less positive note, he observed that recent congressional legislation and court rulings will lead to the reduction of the current 650 student-athletes at UK to around 525, a development Hill thinks is sad as they will be able to impact the lives of fewer student-athletes.  This will impact all twenty-three collegiate teams at UK.

Finally, he brought up  major initiatives impacting UK sports. The newly created Champions Blue, LLC will now “own” all UK athletics.  This model – perhaps the first of its kind in the country – will enable the athletics department to be nimble and flexible in response to the rapidly-changing landscape of college sports. The Name Image Likeness (NIL) Clearinghouse will help provide needed guidelines for students receiving personal compensation.

Responding to a question Hill mentioned that the NCAA has made some governance changes for “like sports programs” and conferences to provide their own enforcement—the newly-created College Sports Commission will oversee this process.

Although there have been significant changes in intercollegiate athletics in recent years, Hill reminded Rotarians that the student-athletes at UK are their most valuable resource and are the best part of his job.  In closing, he encouraged members and guests to continue to support UK athletics as they adapt to the changing world of intercollegiate sports.

– Paul B. Chewning

 

CANCELLED: University of Kentucky Sports on the Grand Stage and the Impact of NIL

Now in his 24th year as Director of Athletics at the University of Kentucky, Mitch Barnhart’s impact spans the past, present, and future of UK Athletics — and reaches across the entire landscape of college sports.

Barnhart’s accomplished tenure at UK makes him the second-longest serving AD among Power 4 schools. With Oklahoma’s Joe Castiglione set to retire, Barnhart will soon become the longest-tenured Power 4 AD.

Massive changes are underway in college athletics, and Barnhart is once again helping lead the way. He is one of 10 athletics directors on the Settlement Implementation Committee, guiding the national rollout of the House case settlement. “Ten years of work in ten months,” he says with a wry grin.

This isn’t Barnhart’s first national leadership role. In 2020–21, he chaired the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Committee. With the 2020 tournament canceled due to COVID-19, losing another landmark event would have jeopardized the NCAA’s primary revenue source and its championship operations across Divisions I, II, and III

Working with the NCAA staff, Barnhart and his committee reorganized the massive event in just three months. The first-of-its-kind arrangement preserved one of America’s most cherished sporting events and kept the NCAA financially afloat, providing millions to participating schools.

On the regional stage, in June 2023, Barnhart was tabbed No. 1 on a list of the “12 Most Important People in the Southeastern Conference,” written by longtime columnist and league observer Pat Dooley. The fact that Barnhart has been chair of the SEC athletics directors since 2017 indicates the respect he has earned among his colleagues, including three SEC ADs whom he helped develop.

At Kentucky, Barnhart is also shaping the future. UK Athletics is transitioning to Champions Blue LLC, a new business structure enabling more agile financial opportunities. It’s being hailed as a groundbreaking model in college athletics.

Barnhart has a long history of national service. In addition to his five-year term on the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Committee, he served on the College Football Playoff Committee — one of only four people to serve on the selction committee for the men’s basketball and football postseasons.

His influence extends through his “AD tree” — seven former staffers have become Division I athletics directors, including Greg Byrne of Alabama, Mark Coyle at Minnesota, Rob Mullens at Oregon, Scott Stricklin at Florida, John Cohen at Auburn, DeWayne Peevy at DePaul and Kevin Saal at Wichita State.

Under Barnhart’s leadership, UK Athletics placed in the top 20 of the NACDA Directors’ Cup standings from 2017–23 (excluding 2020). The program’s nine best finishes have all come during his tenure, including a school-record ninth place in 2021–22, driven by a national title in rifle, a runner-up finish in men’s tennis, and third-place finishes in women’s indoor and outdoor track and field.

UK has earned six NCAA championships under Barnhart: men’s basketball (2012), volleyball (2020), and rifle (2011, 2018, 2021, 2022). The Wildcats have also won 60 regular-season and tournament conference titles, including first-time championships in baseball, women’s tennis, men’s golf, STUNT, and women’s swimming and diving.

Eleven Wildcats have been named National Athlete of the Year. Asia Seidt of swimming and diving received the NCAA Woman of the Year award for her excellence in athletics, academics, and community service. Numerous other Wildcats have earned national honors for their achievements on the field, in the classroom, and in the community.

UK athletes have also been recognized as SEC Male and Female Athlete of the Year, SEC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and SEC Male and Female Community Service Leaders of the Year.

On the international stage, UK athletes made a major impact at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Eleven Wildcats earned 13 medals — including nine golds — tying for third among colleges for most medals won by Team USA athletes. Widcats who competed at UK since 2002 have earned 17 Olympic Medals since the 2004 Athens Games.

Barnhart’s success has earned him personal accolades. In 2022, he was inducted into the (State of) Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame and received the John L. Toner Award from the National Football Foundation for excellence in athletics administration.

These honors add to a growing list of accolades, including being named the 2019 Division I AD of the Year by SportsBusiness Journal.

Since arriving at UK in 2002, Barnhart has emphasized academic achievement and community engagement. The department first reached a 3.0 GPA in spring 2010 and has maintained that standard for 26 consecutive semesters. Wildcats contribute up to 4,000 hours of community service annually, with outreach extending to Ethiopia, the Dominican Republic, and Panama.

Barnhart arrived at UK from Oregon State, where he served four successful years (1998-2002) as athletics director. Before OSU, he worked in athletics administration posts at Tennessee (1986-98), Southern Methodist University (1983-86), Oregon (1983) and San Diego State (1982-83).

Barnhart’s personal life reflects his commitment to growth and service. He is an avid mountain climber, has completed tandem parachute jumps with the Army Golden Knights, participated in mission trips, and serves on the national advisory board of K-Love Radio.

A native of Kansas City, Kansas, Barnhart and his wife, Connie, have three children and six grandchildren.