UK Athletics Announces Partnership with Heaven Hill Brands, Names Evan Williams and Elijah Craig Official Partners of the Kentucky Wildcats

The agreement represents a natural union of two institutions that are, in many ways, inseparable from Kentucky’s identity. The University of Kentucky has anchored the Commonwealth’s academic and athletic life since 1865. Heaven Hill, founded in 1935 and headquartered in Bardstown, has spent nearly a century building a portfolio of American whiskeys that defines what Kentucky craftsmanship looks like at its finest. In Big Blue Nation and Heaven Hill’s family of bourbons, you find the same DNA: pride of place, devotion to craft, a tradition of excellence, and a deeply committed fanbase. Both cultures run deep in this Commonwealth. This partnership finally puts them in the same room.

“When you think of Kentucky, one of the first things you think about is the Wildcats. Another is Bourbon,” said J Batt, UK Athletics Director and CEO of Champions Blue LLC. “Bourbon is foundational to the uniqueness of Kentucky’s culture and economy, and we are proud to welcome Elijah Craig and Evan Williams into the Kentucky Athletics family. This partnership creates exciting new opportunities to enhance the fan experience, celebrate our shared Kentucky heritage, and support the future of UK Athletics.”

At the heart of the partnership’s premium tier, Elijah Craig will make a transformative investment in UK Athletics’ marquee facilities. The brand will hold naming rights to two of the most prominent premium hospitality destinations for collegiate athletics in the region: the Mezzanine Club at Kroger Field will transform into the “Elijah Craig Club,” and the Bourbon Club at Rupp Arena will welcome fans into the new “Elijah Craig Speakeasy.” Both venues will be reimagined as fully immersive Elijah Craig destinations, featuring custom design elements drawn from the rich heritage and character of Kentucky’s signature spirit.

Alongside Elijah Craig’s premium presence, Evan Williams, named after Kentucky’s first licensed distiller, brings Game Day’s Number One Pour to Big Blue Nation as an official collegiate partner through the Evan Williams Bourbon Nation program. As a Bourbon Nation partner, Evan Williams will show up where fans do: activating at tailgates and fan zones on gamedays, bringing the spirit of the #1 America-owned Bourbon directly to the heart of the Wildcat faithful.

The partnership will also introduce a series of limited-edition, co-branded bottles of Elijah Craig and Evan Williams, celebrating the connection between the Commonwealth’s flagship university and one of the state’s most celebrated independent distilleries. The inaugural release will feature an Elijah Craig barrel hand-picked by UK Athletics Director and CEO of Champions Blue LLC J Batt, who traveled to Bardstown to personally select the bourbon barrel, marking the launch of the partnership and the beginning of his first football season at UK. The exclusive bottles will provide fans a unique opportunity to celebrate their connection to UK with a bourbon crafted specifically for Big Blue Nation.

Heaven Hill will have features for Elijah Craig and Evan Williams across Kroger Field, Rupp Arena, Historic Memorial Coliseum, and Kentucky Proud Park hospitality spaces, further integrating the brands into the fan experience throughout gameday.

“Elijah Craig and Evan Williams represent two sides of what makes bourbon culture great, the craftsmanship that commands respect and the spirit that brings people together,” said Matt Blevins, Chief Marketing Officer at Heaven Hill. “That’s exactly what UK Athletics means to this state too. Whether you are in a premium suite or a tailgate lot, we want every Kentucky fan to feel the depth of this partnership, and we are proud to be part of Big Blue Nation.”