Connect with us

Kentucky

Why Horse Racing is Dying in California and What It Means for Kentucky

Published

on

Why Horse Racing is Dying in California and What It Means for Kentucky


In the 20th century, horse racing was “the sport of kings.” It was one of the three most popular sports in America, along with baseball and boxing. That’s far from the case a quarter of the way through the 21st century. Now its geographic footprint is in danger of drastically shrinking, threatening the future of the sport.

Prognosticators estimate the sport will not regularly operate in California and Florida within the next decade. The Los Angeles Times drafted a lengthy, detailed feature highlighting horse racing’s expiration date in California. If you care about horse racing, block of 15 minutes and read it now.

Advertisement

Even if you don’t care, California and Florida’s struggles matter to Kentucky. Think of horse racing as a stool. New York, Kentucky, Florida, and California are the four legs propping it up. What happens when two of those legs break?

Allow me to share a brief synopsis of the L.A. Times reporting, along with some personal anecdotal evidence.

[READ: Inside California Horse Racing’s Complex Problems That Could Hurt the Sport Nationwide]

Advertisement

1. There is No Monopoly on Sports Gambling

Do you know why horse racing was so popular for so long? The parimutuel windows were the only way you could legally make a sports wager. Admission to the track was $2 when I started attending Churchill Downs because they wanted you to save all of your money for gambling. Wagering still matters, but the Instagram experience has been priortized above all else.

Meanwhile, you can wager on an NBA player’s assists right from your phone, unless you’re in California. The state does not have sports gambling or historical horse racing slot machines to prop up the horse racing industry.

2. Horse Racing Often Doesn’t Financially Make Sense

A Maiden Special is your most basic, introductory type of race. These are horses all looking for their first win. A Maiden Special at Santa Anita Park in California has a purse of $60,000. At Churchill Downs, the purse is $120,000.

Advertisement

How can one expect horsemen to survive the California standard of living? The math isn’t mathing.

3. No Political Appetite for Horse Racing

Kentucky is able to race with larger purses because of the historical horse racing slot machines, sports gaming, and most importantly, the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund (KTDF). Thanks to the efforts of politicians like Damon Thayer, legislation has been put in place to secure the sport’s financial future in Kentucky.

Politicians in California only speak up about horse racing to highlight the sport’s darkest days. The rash of fatalities in 2019 called for investigations into the conditions of the track and practices used at Santa Anita Park. That turned public sentiment against horse racing in the state and it may never recover.

Advertisement

4. The Stronach Group

The Stronach Group operates under the title 1/ST. They own multiple racetracks, most notably Santa Anita Park and Gulfstream Park. They previously owned Pimlico, but turned that over to the state of Maryland last summer.

Gulfstream and Santa Anita are two of the five most important horse racing tracks in the country. The land they sit on is worth more than its horse racing enterprise. According to the LA Times, they’re shopping both tracks for sale. Belinda Stronach made that abundantly clear when she said during the Pegasus World Cup broadcast on NBC, “The fact is that Gulfstream Park is now in a very dense, urban setting, and that’s not great for horses, ultimately.”

Churchill Downs is in a pretty dense, urban setting, and the horses there seem to be doing just fine.

Advertisement

What Does This All Mean?

The horse racing industry is big business for the state of Kentucky. According to the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, the equine industry generates roughly $6.5 billion in total economic impact, supports over 60,000 jobs, and brings in over $100 million in tax revenue for the state. Kentucky Derby week generates upwards of $217 million for the local economy.

That is not in danger of going away, however, if Florida and California get out of the business, we will feel it in Kentucky. If you care about the business, do yourself a favor and take some time to read the detailed feature from the L.A. Times.

Advertisement

Sign up for the KSR Newsletter to get breaking news and daily headlines delivered directly to your inbox.



Source link

Kentucky

Kentucky Derby Festival Block Party returns to Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center

Published

on

Kentucky Derby Festival Block Party returns to Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center


Kentucky Derby Festival Block Party returns to Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center

Advertisement

Advertisement

Kentucky Derby Festival Block Party returns to Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center

Updated: 9:28 PM EDT Apr 4, 2026

Editorial Standards

Advertisement

The Kentucky Derby Festival Block Party returned to the Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center Saturday.Guests were able to stop by and enjoy an afternoon filled with of food, live entertainment, and family-friendly activities.The party also featured over 50 minority-owned businesses from MELANnaire Marketplace that were showing off the items they had for sale.”Well, here you get local makers, who are making all types of fascinators. They make clothing, artwork. We got a food drive, I mean everything. It’s all kinds of amazing products, and we’re so happy to be able to showcase them,” said Nachane Trapue, the founder of MELANnaire Marketplace.Norton Healthcare was also on site providing wellness tips, and the Heuser Hearing Institute offered free hearing screenings.

The Kentucky Derby Festival Block Party returned to the Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center Saturday.

Guests were able to stop by and enjoy an afternoon filled with of food, live entertainment, and family-friendly activities.

Advertisement

The party also featured over 50 minority-owned businesses from MELANnaire Marketplace that were showing off the items they had for sale.

“Well, here you get local makers, who are making all types of fascinators. They make clothing, artwork. We got a food drive, I mean everything. It’s all kinds of amazing products, and we’re so happy to be able to showcase them,” said Nachane Trapue, the founder of MELANnaire Marketplace.

Norton Healthcare was also on site providing wellness tips, and the Heuser Hearing Institute offered free hearing screenings.

Advertisement
Advertisement

`;
}

function refreshWeatherIframe(containerId) {
var iframeId = ‘weather-iframe-‘ + containerId;
var iframe = document.getElementById(iframeId);
if (iframe && iframe.src) {
var originalSrc = iframe.src;
iframe.src = originalSrc + (originalSrc.indexOf(‘?’) > -1 ? ‘&’ : ‘?’) + ‘t=” + Date.now();
}
}

function initializeWeatherBox(container) {
var containerId = container.getAttribute(“data-container-id’);
var isWeatherBoxV2 = containerId === ‘home-weather-v2’;

function switchWeatherTab(tabName, clickedElement) {
container.querySelectorAll(‘[data-tab-id]’).forEach(function(tab) {
tab.classList.remove(‘open’);
tab.setAttribute(‘aria-selected’, ‘false’);
});

clickedElement.classList.add(‘open’);
clickedElement.setAttribute(‘aria-selected’, ‘true’);

Advertisement

container.querySelectorAll(‘[data-content-id]’).forEach(function(content) {
content.style.display = ‘none’;
content.setAttribute(‘hidden’, ‘true’);
});

var targetContent = container.querySelector(‘[data-content-id=”‘ + tabName + ‘”]’);
if (targetContent) {
targetContent.style.display = ‘block’;
targetContent.removeAttribute(‘hidden’);
}
}

function loadWeatherData() {
// If weather data is already being loaded, wait for it
if (window.weatherDataPromise) {
window.weatherDataPromise.then(function(data) {
if (data && data.data) {
var weatherContainer = container.closest(‘.weather-box-container’);
if (weatherContainer) {
weatherContainer.style.display = ‘flex’;
updateCurrentWeather(data.data);
updateForecastTabs(data.data);
updateWeatherAlertsBar(data.data);
}
}
});
return;
}

var location = { zip: window.DEFAULT_ZIPCODE };

try {
var storedLocations = localStorage.getItem(‘hrst.zip.history’);
if (storedLocations) {
var locations = JSON.parse(storedLocations);
if (locations && locations.length > 0) {
location = locations[0];
}
}
} catch (e) {}

Advertisement

var apiUrl = (window.DEWY_HOSTNAME || ”) + ‘/api/v1/weather/full/’ + location.zip;

if (window.fetch) {
window.weatherDataPromise = fetch(apiUrl)
.then(function(response) { return response.json(); })
.then(function(data) {
if (data && data.data) {
var article = container.closest(‘.article–wrapper’);
var weatherContainer = container.closest(‘.weather-box-container’);
if (weatherContainer) {
weatherContainer.style.display = ‘flex’;
updateCurrentWeather(data.data);
updateForecastTabs(data.data);
updateWeatherAlertsBar(data.data);
}
return data;
}
})
.catch(function(error) {
console.error(‘Error loading weather:’, error);
// Reset to unknown background on error
updateWeatherBackground(‘unknown’);
});
}
}

function updateWeatherAlertsBar(weatherData) {
var weatherWatchHeader = container.querySelector(‘.weather-watch-header’);
if (!weatherWatchHeader) return;

var weatherWatchText = weatherWatchHeader.querySelector(‘.weather-watch-text’);
var weatherWatchLink = weatherWatchHeader.querySelector(‘.weather-watch-link’);

if (weatherData.alerts_count > 0) {
weatherWatchHeader.className=”weather-watch-header has-alerts”;
if (weatherWatchText) {
weatherWatchText.textContent = `Weather Alerts (${weatherData.alerts_count})`;
}
if (weatherWatchLink) {
if (!weatherWatchLink.getAttribute(‘data-initial-href’)) {
weatherWatchLink.setAttribute(‘data-initial-href’, weatherWatchLink.getAttribute(‘href’));
weatherWatchLink.setAttribute(‘data-initial-onclick’, weatherWatchLink.getAttribute(‘onclick’) || ”);
}
weatherWatchLink.setAttribute(‘href’, “https://www.wlky.com/alerts”);
weatherWatchLink.setAttribute(‘onclick’, “return handleWeatherLinkClick(event, ‘click_alerts’, ‘click’, ‘mobile-weather’, “https://www.wlky.com/alerts”);”);
}
} else {
weatherWatchHeader.className=”weather-watch-header”;
if (weatherWatchText) {
weatherWatchText.textContent = containerId === ‘home-weather-v2’ ? ‘Watch Latest Forecast’ : ‘Latest Forecast’;
}
if (weatherWatchLink) {
var initialHref = weatherWatchLink.getAttribute(‘data-initial-href’);
var initialOnclick = weatherWatchLink.getAttribute(‘data-initial-onclick’);
if (initialHref) {
weatherWatchLink.setAttribute(‘href’, initialHref);
}
if (initialOnclick) {
weatherWatchLink.setAttribute(‘onclick’, initialOnclick);
}
}
}
}

Advertisement

function updateCurrentWeather(weatherData) {
if (weatherData.current) {
var tempValue = weatherData.current.temp_f || ”;
var skyValue = weatherData.current.sky || ”;
var feelsLikeValue = weatherData.current.feels_like_f || weatherData.current.temp_f || ”;

var tempEl = container.querySelector(‘.weather-grid–current-temp-value’);
if (tempEl) {
tempEl.textContent = tempValue;
tempEl.setAttribute(‘aria-label’, tempValue + ‘ degrees Fahrenheit’);
}

var iconEl = container.querySelector(‘.weather-grid–current-icon’);
if (iconEl && weatherData.current.icon_name) {
iconEl.className=”weather-grid–current-icon weather-current-icon icon icon-weather-” + weatherData.current.icon_name;
}

var skyEl = container.querySelector(‘.weather-grid–sky’);
if (skyEl) {
skyEl.textContent = skyValue;
skyEl.setAttribute(‘aria-label’, ‘Current condition: ‘ + skyValue);
}

var feelsEl = container.querySelector(‘.weather-grid–feels’);
if (feelsEl) {
feelsEl.textContent = feelsLikeValue + ‘°F’;
feelsEl.setAttribute(‘aria-label’, feelsLikeValue + ‘ degrees Fahrenheit’);
}

Advertisement

var weatherContainer = container.querySelector(‘.weather-temp-container’);
if (weatherContainer) {
var summary = ‘Current temperature ‘ + tempValue + ‘ degrees Fahrenheit, ‘ +
skyValue + ‘, feels like ‘ + feelsLikeValue + ‘ degrees’;
weatherContainer.setAttribute(‘aria-label’, summary);
}

updateWeatherBackground(weatherData.current.icon_name);
}
}

function updateWeatherBackground(iconName) {
try {
var bgPath = weatherImages.backgrounds[iconName] || weatherImages.backgrounds.unknown;
container.style.backgroundImage=”url(” + bgPath + ‘)’;
} catch (e) {
console.log(‘Error updating weather background:’, e);
}
}

function updateForecastTabs(weatherData) {
var visibleItems = isWeatherBoxV2 ? 6 : 5;

if (weatherData.hourly) {
var hourlyContainer = container.querySelector(‘.weather-hourly-forecast’);
if (hourlyContainer) {
var html=””;
var maxHours = Math.min(visibleItems, weatherData.hourly.length);

Advertisement

for (var i = 0; i 0 ? currentIndex – 1 : tabs.length – 1;
tabs[prevIndex].focus();
break;
case ‘ArrowRight’:
e.preventDefault();
var nextIndex = currentIndex

`;
}

function refreshWeatherIframe(containerId) {
var iframeId = ‘weather-iframe-‘ + containerId;
var iframe = document.getElementById(iframeId);
if (iframe && iframe.src) {
var originalSrc = iframe.src;
iframe.src = originalSrc + (originalSrc.indexOf(‘?’) > -1 ? ‘&’ : ‘?’) + ‘t=” + Date.now();
}
}

function initializeWeatherBox(container) {
var containerId = container.getAttribute(“data-container-id’);
var isWeatherBoxV2 = containerId === ‘home-weather-v2’;

function switchWeatherTab(tabName, clickedElement) {
container.querySelectorAll(‘[data-tab-id]’).forEach(function(tab) {
tab.classList.remove(‘open’);
tab.setAttribute(‘aria-selected’, ‘false’);
});

Advertisement

clickedElement.classList.add(‘open’);
clickedElement.setAttribute(‘aria-selected’, ‘true’);

container.querySelectorAll(‘[data-content-id]’).forEach(function(content) {
content.style.display = ‘none’;
content.setAttribute(‘hidden’, ‘true’);
});

var targetContent = container.querySelector(‘[data-content-id=”‘ + tabName + ‘”]’);
if (targetContent) {
targetContent.style.display = ‘block’;
targetContent.removeAttribute(‘hidden’);
}
}

function loadWeatherData() {
// If weather data is already being loaded, wait for it
if (window.weatherDataPromise) {
window.weatherDataPromise.then(function(data) {
if (data && data.data) {
var weatherContainer = container.closest(‘.weather-box-container’);
if (weatherContainer) {
weatherContainer.style.display = ‘flex’;
updateCurrentWeather(data.data);
updateForecastTabs(data.data);
updateWeatherAlertsBar(data.data);
}
}
});
return;
}

var location = { zip: window.DEFAULT_ZIPCODE };

Advertisement

try {
var storedLocations = localStorage.getItem(‘hrst.zip.history’);
if (storedLocations) {
var locations = JSON.parse(storedLocations);
if (locations && locations.length > 0) {
location = locations[0];
}
}
} catch (e) {}

var apiUrl = (window.DEWY_HOSTNAME || ”) + ‘/api/v1/weather/full/’ + location.zip;

if (window.fetch) {
window.weatherDataPromise = fetch(apiUrl)
.then(function(response) { return response.json(); })
.then(function(data) {
if (data && data.data) {
var article = container.closest(‘.article–wrapper’);
var weatherContainer = container.closest(‘.weather-box-container’);
if (weatherContainer) {
weatherContainer.style.display = ‘flex’;
updateCurrentWeather(data.data);
updateForecastTabs(data.data);
updateWeatherAlertsBar(data.data);
}
return data;
}
})
.catch(function(error) {
console.error(‘Error loading weather:’, error);
// Reset to unknown background on error
updateWeatherBackground(‘unknown’);
});
}
}

function updateWeatherAlertsBar(weatherData) {
var weatherWatchHeader = container.querySelector(‘.weather-watch-header’);
if (!weatherWatchHeader) return;

var weatherWatchText = weatherWatchHeader.querySelector(‘.weather-watch-text’);
var weatherWatchLink = weatherWatchHeader.querySelector(‘.weather-watch-link’);

Advertisement

if (weatherData.alerts_count > 0) {
weatherWatchHeader.className=”weather-watch-header has-alerts”;
if (weatherWatchText) {
weatherWatchText.textContent = `Weather Alerts (${weatherData.alerts_count})`;
}
if (weatherWatchLink) {
if (!weatherWatchLink.getAttribute(‘data-initial-href’)) {
weatherWatchLink.setAttribute(‘data-initial-href’, weatherWatchLink.getAttribute(‘href’));
weatherWatchLink.setAttribute(‘data-initial-onclick’, weatherWatchLink.getAttribute(‘onclick’) || ”);
}
weatherWatchLink.setAttribute(‘href’, “https://www.wlky.com/alerts”);
weatherWatchLink.setAttribute(‘onclick’, “return handleWeatherLinkClick(event, ‘click_alerts’, ‘click’, ‘sidelist-weather’, “https://www.wlky.com/alerts”);”);
}
} else {
weatherWatchHeader.className=”weather-watch-header”;
if (weatherWatchText) {
weatherWatchText.textContent = containerId === ‘home-weather-v2’ ? ‘Watch Latest Forecast’ : ‘Latest Forecast’;
}
if (weatherWatchLink) {
var initialHref = weatherWatchLink.getAttribute(‘data-initial-href’);
var initialOnclick = weatherWatchLink.getAttribute(‘data-initial-onclick’);
if (initialHref) {
weatherWatchLink.setAttribute(‘href’, initialHref);
}
if (initialOnclick) {
weatherWatchLink.setAttribute(‘onclick’, initialOnclick);
}
}
}
}

function updateCurrentWeather(weatherData) {
if (weatherData.current) {
var tempValue = weatherData.current.temp_f || ”;
var skyValue = weatherData.current.sky || ”;
var feelsLikeValue = weatherData.current.feels_like_f || weatherData.current.temp_f || ”;

var tempEl = container.querySelector(‘.weather-grid–current-temp-value’);
if (tempEl) {
tempEl.textContent = tempValue;
tempEl.setAttribute(‘aria-label’, tempValue + ‘ degrees Fahrenheit’);
}

var iconEl = container.querySelector(‘.weather-grid–current-icon’);
if (iconEl && weatherData.current.icon_name) {
iconEl.className=”weather-grid–current-icon weather-current-icon icon icon-weather-” + weatherData.current.icon_name;
}

var skyEl = container.querySelector(‘.weather-grid–sky’);
if (skyEl) {
skyEl.textContent = skyValue;
skyEl.setAttribute(‘aria-label’, ‘Current condition: ‘ + skyValue);
}

Advertisement

var feelsEl = container.querySelector(‘.weather-grid–feels’);
if (feelsEl) {
feelsEl.textContent = feelsLikeValue + ‘°F’;
feelsEl.setAttribute(‘aria-label’, feelsLikeValue + ‘ degrees Fahrenheit’);
}

var weatherContainer = container.querySelector(‘.weather-temp-container’);
if (weatherContainer) {
var summary = ‘Current temperature ‘ + tempValue + ‘ degrees Fahrenheit, ‘ +
skyValue + ‘, feels like ‘ + feelsLikeValue + ‘ degrees’;
weatherContainer.setAttribute(‘aria-label’, summary);
}

updateWeatherBackground(weatherData.current.icon_name);
}
}

function updateWeatherBackground(iconName) {
try {
var bgPath = weatherImages.backgrounds[iconName] || weatherImages.backgrounds.unknown;
container.style.backgroundImage=”url(” + bgPath + ‘)’;
} catch (e) {
console.log(‘Error updating weather background:’, e);
}
}

function updateForecastTabs(weatherData) {
var visibleItems = isWeatherBoxV2 ? 6 : 5;

Advertisement

if (weatherData.hourly) {
var hourlyContainer = container.querySelector(‘.weather-hourly-forecast’);
if (hourlyContainer) {
var html=””;
var maxHours = Math.min(visibleItems, weatherData.hourly.length);

for (var i = 0; i 0 ? currentIndex – 1 : tabs.length – 1;
tabs[prevIndex].focus();
break;
case ‘ArrowRight’:
e.preventDefault();
var nextIndex = currentIndex

Loading more articles…



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Kentucky

Florence neighbor rebuilding man’s dream home after fire, terminal diagnosis

Published

on

Florence neighbor rebuilding man’s dream home after fire, terminal diagnosis


A Northern Kentucky community is coming together to help one man rebuild his home.On Saturday, a fire tore through a house at the end of Brittany Lane, leaving behind heavy damage and years of work nearly destroyed.But for Richard Reinhart, the loss goes far beyond the structure itself.“This was his big project,” neighbor Danielle Armstrong said. “He bought the land and then just built the house and built the house for years and years and years.”Armstrong was the one who called 911 after noticing smoke pouring from the home. She said flames quickly spread, leaving the house badly damaged.Reinhart and his wife were able to make it out safely.Still, the home holds deep meaning. Armstrong said Reinhart spent decades building it by hand, carefully crafting a space meant to bring generations of family together. Just months before the fire, Reinhart was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer with no known cure.“He doesn’t have long to live,” Armstrong said.Now, what was once a long-term dream has become something far more urgent.Reinhart’s goal is no longer just to build the home, but to return to it.“My goal with the GoFundMe is to raise funds so that we can rebuild this house together for Richard, so that he can leave it to his family,” Armstrong said. “This is his final place that he wants to be.”Armstrong said her motivation is simple.“I don’t have a lot in life, and Richard’s always been there for me through a lot,” she said. “So you do that for friends that really care about you.”The two have known each other for decades — even living as neighbors twice over the years — a connection Armstrong says makes this effort even more meaningful.Now, she’s leading the charge to help rebuild the home, starting a GoFundMe and helping organize local fundraisers. Longnecks Sports Grill in Hebron will host a Dine and Dinner event at all its locations April 11 from 5 to 9 p.m. For Armstrong, the goal is clear: to help Reinhart return to the home he built — and the place he hopes to spend his final days.“This was his dream,” she said. “And I want his dream to come true.”

A Northern Kentucky community is coming together to help one man rebuild his home.

On Saturday, a fire tore through a house at the end of Brittany Lane, leaving behind heavy damage and years of work nearly destroyed.

Advertisement

But for Richard Reinhart, the loss goes far beyond the structure itself.

“This was his big project,” neighbor Danielle Armstrong said. “He bought the land and then just built the house and built the house for years and years and years.”

Armstrong was the one who called 911 after noticing smoke pouring from the home. She said flames quickly spread, leaving the house badly damaged.

Advertisement

Reinhart and his wife were able to make it out safely.

Still, the home holds deep meaning. Armstrong said Reinhart spent decades building it by hand, carefully crafting a space meant to bring generations of family together.

Just months before the fire, Reinhart was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer with no known cure.

“He doesn’t have long to live,” Armstrong said.

Now, what was once a long-term dream has become something far more urgent.

Advertisement

Reinhart’s goal is no longer just to build the home, but to return to it.

“My goal with the GoFundMe is to raise funds so that we can rebuild this house together for Richard, so that he can leave it to his family,” Armstrong said. “This is his final place that he wants to be.”

Armstrong said her motivation is simple.

“I don’t have a lot in life, and Richard’s always been there for me through a lot,” she said. “So you do that for friends that really care about you.”

The two have known each other for decades — even living as neighbors twice over the years — a connection Armstrong says makes this effort even more meaningful.

Advertisement

Now, she’s leading the charge to help rebuild the home, starting a GoFundMe and helping organize local fundraisers.

Longnecks Sports Grill in Hebron will host a Dine and Dinner event at all its locations April 11 from 5 to 9 p.m.

For Armstrong, the goal is clear: to help Reinhart return to the home he built — and the place he hopes to spend his final days.

“This was his dream,” she said. “And I want his dream to come true.”

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Kentucky

Kentucky Basketball Roster Tracker: Jasper Johnson are Brandon Garrison going portaling

Published

on

Kentucky Basketball Roster Tracker: Jasper Johnson are Brandon Garrison going portaling


The transfer portal doesn’t officially open until Tuesday, April 7, but players are already announcing their plans — over 500 so far, in fact. On Kentucky’s end, Jaland Lowe was the first, announcing on March 28 that he would head elsewhere. Since then, it’s been crickets, but Jasper Johnson and Brandon Garrison quickly changed that, with news breaking of their plans to transfer happening within an hour of each other on Friday.

More announcements could be on the way before Tuesday. We’re still waiting on decisions from seven Wildcats, eight if you include Jayden Quaintance, who is expected to enter the NBA Draft, but has yet to officially declare. Redshirt big man Reece Potter has publicly stated that he will run it back in Lexington. Mark Pope got his first 2026 commit this week in four-star point guard Mason Williams, the son of former NBA All-Star Mo Williams, who will also come to Kentucky as an assistant coach.

It could be a newsy weekend. KSR will be tracking all of Kentucky’s offseason roster movements. Consider this your one-stop shop for all roster additions and departures.


GRADUATED (2)

Advertisement

PORTAL DEPARTURES (3)

REMAINING ELIGIBILITY – STATUS UNKNOWN (8)

EXPECTED RETURNERS (1)

HS SIGNEES (1)

PORTAL ADDITIONS: N/A

Advertisement

IMPORTANT DATES

  • April 7: Transfer Portal Opens
  • April 21: Transfer Portal Closes
  • 60 days before NBA Draft: NBA Early Entry Deadline
  • May 8-10: NBA G League Combine (Chicago)
  • May 10: NBA Draft Lottery
  • May 10-17: NBA Draft Combine (Chicago)
  • May 27: NCAA Division I Early Entry Withdrawal Deadline
  • 10 days before NBA Draft: NBA Early Entry Withdrawal Deadline
  • Late June: 2026 NBA Draft (Date not announced)

Take advantage of our KSR+ SPRING SALE to get bonus coverage of the Cats, including the latest intel on Kentucky’s efforts in the Transfer Portal, Spring Football, and the search for a new Athletic Director — plus a year of access to The Athletic. Annual subscriptions are 50% off for a limited time.


UPDATES

April 3: Brandon Garrison joins Johnson in the portal

  • After two seasons with the Wildcats as the team’s backup center, Garrison will look for a starting job going into his final college season.

April 3: Jasper Johnson will enter the Transfer Portal

  • Mark Pope‘s highest-ranked recruit of all time will look for a fresh start elsewhere after an up-and-down freshman season.
  • The other finalists in his high school recruitment were Alabama and North Carolina.

March 30: Mo Williams to join staff as assistant

  • Expected to join his son, Mason, in Lexington, filling one of the vacant assistant coaching positions
  • Head coach at Jackson State (2022-26) and Alabama State (2020-22), Assistant coach at Cal State Northridge (2018-20)
  • Played 13 seasons in the NBA for 7 different franchises; NBA All-Star (2009), NBA Champion (Cleveland Cavaliers, 2016)

March 28: Jaland Lowe will enter the Transfer Portal

  • Leaving UK after one season, which was cut short by a shoulder injury.

March 27: Associate head coach Alvin Brooks will not return next season

March 27: 4-star Mason Williams commits to Kentucky

  • Son of former NBA All-Star/current Jackson State head coach Mo Williams
  • 6-foot-2 point guard ranked No. 124 overall in the 2026 recruiting class by Rivals
  • Held offers from Ole Miss, Jackson State, Memphis, Louisiana, New Mexico State, Stephen F. Austin, Washington, and Texas Tech
  • Averaged 15.1 points, 5.3 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.5 steals per outing in 2025-26 while shooting 41.2 percent from deep (8-game sample size)

March 26: Keegan Brown announced as Director of Roster Management

  • Worked with Mark Pope for five seasons at BYU
  • Most recently worked as head video coordinator of the Wisconsin Herd, the Milwaukee Bucks’ G League affiliate.

March 24: Jason Hart leaves for SMU

  • Left Kentucky after two seasons to become the associate head coach under Andy Enfield
  • Lead recruiter for Dink Pate and Tyran Stokes



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending