When Kenny Minchey ran up the middle and sent LSU home with a loss, and Kentucky sealed its massive 35-34 overtime upset win, Big Blue Nation poured out of the stands. Kroger Field was an absolute madhouse; Tyler Childers was blasting from the speakers and the SEC fine letter was probably drafted before the players even reached the locker room.
That was $500k, by the way.
But if you watch the footage closely, the fans spilling over the walls weren’t the only ones eager to celebrate.
Kentucky’s new Athletic
Director, J Batt, didn’t just watch the chaos unfold from a luxury suite. He was right there in the thick of it. In fact, sideline video shows Batt was among the first to storm the field when the Wildcats secured the win.
When Batt took over as CEO of Champions Blue and UK Athletics Director this summer, replacing Mitch Barnhart, most everyone was excited and figured he would be a good fit. If Saturday night was any indication, he definitely is.
Yes, the SEC hit the university with a half-million-dollar fine for the field rush. But J Batt was right there with the fans anyway.
He probably understands what moments like this mean to the fanbase, the players, and the program that Will Stein is trying to build. He didn’t wear a suit and tie to stand above the fray; he jumped right into the middle of the magic.
Big Blue Nation, your new AD gets it.
