Champions Blue LLC’s Board of Governors announced Tuesday they have endorsed the pre-design and programming phases for a multi-use facility that could feature a dedicated Kentucky basketball practice facility, UK HealthCare Sports Medicine ambulatory spaces and sports-related research areas.
This facility would bring together UK Athletics, UK HealthCare and the University’s academic enterprise in a dynamic development and collaboration.
The project, envisioned as a cornerstone of an emerging Sports Adjacent District, reflects the University of Kentucky’s commitment to advancing excellence across disciplines. The project will explore opportunities to integrate UK HealthCare into the space, reinforcing its role in community health and sports medicine.
“This project represents the kind of forward-thinking collaboration that defines our university’s mission,” said UK President Eli Capilouto. “By bringing together athletics, health care and research, we are building a future where innovation and impact intersect, advancing Kentucky in every sense.”
The location of the new facility is still to be determined during the pre-design phase, but is expected to be an integral part of the Sports Adjacent District.
The pre-design phase will include the development of schematic floor plans, conceptual renderings and a rough order of magnitude cost estimate. Stakeholders from UK Athletics, UK HealthCare and other university units will work together to ensure the facility aligns with institutional goals.
“We’re looking forward to creating spaces that reflect the excellence and ambition of the University of Kentucky,” said Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart. “This facility has the potential to elevate all our programs while also expanding our reach in sports medicine and research. This project provides a distinctive opportunity to build something that reflects the best of what UK does. Over the past 24 years, UK Athletics has invested over $768 million in capital projects. Exploring these future projects shows our commitment to continuing to build for the future.”
Relocating Kentucky basketball to a proposed new facility would open up significant space in the Joe Craft Center, allowing for a reimagined, women’s sports–dedicated complex attached to Historic Memorial Coliseum.
Champions Blue LLC, a public, non-profit subsidiary of Beyond Blue Corporation, was established in April 2025 to support the university’s athletic competitiveness and financial trajectory. It allows UK to abide by all public entity rules and laws and for the school’s Board of Trustees to approve strategies, budgets and investments.
