LEXINGTON, Ky. (BBN TONIGHT) — The University of Kentucky Athletic Director, Mitch Barnhart, met with the UK Board of Trustees Thursday night and announced a few things regarding Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) and student-athletes.
Barnhart announced over 1,300 deals have been signed by student-athletes in the first year of NIL. He talked about the new UK Invests program, allowing athletes and, eventually, students to invest.
We’re excited to announce the launch of UK Invests — a first-of-its-kind initiative that ultimately will give everyone on our campus the opportunity to receive a voluntary personal account that they can invest in, matched in part by investments from UK. ➡️ https://t.co/XaVNCkuqPK pic.twitter.com/LcnadMxcg5
— University of Kentucky (@universityofky) September 12, 2022
"Through the initiative, all UK students (undergraduate, graduate, and professional students) will have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of financial wellness, practice financial investing and receive monetary rewards for institution-identified healthy behaviors."
What is UK Invests?
— Kentucky Athletics (@UKAthletics) September 16, 2022
A bold, new step at the @universityofky that offers an exciting opportunity to provide our student-athletes with academic achievement (Alston) awards and show them how those awards can become so much more. pic.twitter.com/RghknU6PE0
He also announced that Joe and Kelly Craft are donating $7.5 million towards renovations to the Nutter Field House to support Kentucky football's new indoor facility. As well as reconstruction of a new indoor track facility, which will be named after Jim Green, the first African American athlete to graduate from UK.
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