Mitch Barnhart announces new compliance hire, says athletics department budget is approved

Mitch Barnhart has had a busy morning. UK's athletic director went before the media to discuss the department's progress and the 104 million budget for the 2013-2014 fiscal year, which was approved by the board of directors. Barnhart said that budget includes an increase of $3 million for football, $2.4 million of which will go towards higher salaries for new coaches. I'd say they're earning their keep so far; in the understatement of the morning, Barnhart said that football recruiting is going "pretty well" right now. Of that $104 million, football and men's basketball will be allotted around $25 million. If you think that's way too high (why are you here?), Barnhart pointed out that those two sports create the most revenue for the school. Football creates the most with $30,580,000, and men's basketball the second most with $21,932,500. As Mitch put it, "two programs feed twenty." Also, UK's got a new member of the compliance department: Rachel Newman Baker, who will serve as the senior associate athletics director for compliance. Newman Baker worked in the NCAA Compliance Office as the managing director of enforcement for development and investigations, and will report to Bell, serving as the liaison between the athletics compliance office and the UK football and marketing offices. Bell, the executive associate athletics director for student services, will shift her focus to the men's basketball team. Barnhart also noted that it's been nine years since UK Athletics has had an academic penalty (APR) from the NCAA. They're one of only two SEC schools to lay claim to that, along with Vanderbilt. Oh yeah, UK's student athletes' GPA isn't too shabby either--at 3.14, it's the highest it's ever been.