New UK Baseball Venue Named Kentucky Proud Park

The new Univ. of Kentucky ballpark will be known as Kentucky Proud Park after the Kentucky Farm Bureau "entered into a 15-year agreement with JMI Sports for the naming rights," according to Jennifer Smith of the LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER. Specifics of the deal were not disclosed. JMI Sports "purchased UK Athletics' multimedia rights" in '14 for $210M over 15 years, and part of that initial deal was to "grant naming rights to athletics facilities." The Kentucky Proud name is a "nod to farmers and the official state marketing program for agricultural products made in the commonwealth." The ballpark project cost $49M and "includes an all-turf field with permanent seating for 2,500 with space on the grass berms to accommodate more than 4,000." Temporary seating can also be "installed to take the capacity up over 7,000 for NCAA Tournament games" (LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER, 10/20).