Big Blue Dispatch
Daily Update • September 3, 2026
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Good morning, Big Blue Nation! Thursday, September 3.
There's good news on the Alex Afari front, but it comes with some caveats. A temporary restraining order has cleared a path for Afari's 5th season, but Kentucky is not celebrating just yet. The TRO allows him to play while the legal battle continues, but it's not a final ruling — there's still uncertainty ahead.
New UK AD J. Batt wrote a letter to Big Blue Nation. Larry Vaught has reprinted a copy on Your Sports Edge. Batt's message sets the tone for his tenure and lays out his vision for Kentucky athletics heading into the Stein era.
In a match that ran late on Wednesday, UK volleyball swept UCLA 3-0. We'll include a full recap story in tomorrow's newsletter.
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Go Cats! 🐾
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On3 — Kentucky Wildcats
No. 3 Kentucky volleyball stays hot at home, sweeping a nearly-ranked UCLA team (25-12, 25-18, 25-23) behind a roaring BBN crowd on Wednesday night at the Memorial Coliseum.
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On3 — Kentucky Wildcats
A college football game week doesn’t officially arrive until the weekly radio show. Wednesday evening felt like the official start of the Will Stein era in the Bluegrass.
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On3 — Kentucky Wildcats
There will be a time this fall when Tavion Gadson gets into a zone. Someone in the stands at Kroger Field will say the Kentucky defensive lineman is “cooking with grease.” That turn of phrase can be applied literally to Gadson.
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Wildcat Blue Nation
Kentucky and Will Stein will return one of the best defenders of the Mark Stoops era.
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Google News — Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky's 2012 National Title team and 2015's 38-1 team are being disrespected Sports Illustrated
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On3 — Kentucky Wildcats
So… now what? Kentucky got Mark Mitchell, then lost Mark Mitchell.
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Vaught's Views
Give new University of Kentucky athletics director J Batt credit. Hes trying to be very accessible and visible for fans and Wednesday posted a message on UK Athletics that I thought deserved to be shared with vaughtsviews.com readers.
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On3 — Kentucky Wildcats
Game week has finally arrived. In less than 72 hours, Kentucky will kick off the 2026 season at Kroger Field against Youngstown State.
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Google News — UK Football
Get to know the Kentucky football roster: No. 3 Aaron Gates Yahoo Sports
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Google News — Kentucky Wildcats
Adam Zouagui set to be Kentucky Football’s starting kicker A Sea Of Blue
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On3 — Kentucky Wildcats
Dominika Paurová committed to Kentucky women’s basketball over two years ago. She can make her long-awaited debut with the Wildcats this fall.
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On3 — Kentucky Wildcats
A new era of Kentucky football will officially debut on Saturday at Kroger Field. There are a lot of unknowns.
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On3 — Kentucky Wildcats
Lawyers representing the SEC filed a new brief Wednesday with the Baton Rouge (La.) court overseeing the prominent “five-for-five” eligibility case against the NCAA, according to Yahoo! Sports insider Ross Dellenger .
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On3 — Kentucky Wildcats
If you’re not familiar with the name Adam Zouagui , you had better learn quickly. That will be Kentucky football’s starting kicker to open the season — and the Will Stein era in Lexington — against Youngstown State on Saturday.
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On3 — Kentucky Wildcats
Reigning FCS Player of the Year Beau Brungard is the player to watch when Youngstown State comes into Kroger Field on Saturday. Brungard is the Penguins’ unanimous All-American quarterback who racked up 3,230 passing yards, 1,468 rushing yards, and 53 total touchdowns in 2025.
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