Through the 15 by 15 by 15 Plan – announced in 2008 – UK Athletics set out to accomplish the following by the year 2015:
  • Reach the Directors’ Cup top 15
  • Win 15 conference or national championships
  • Pursue a 3.0 composite GPA
  • Encourage even greater commitment to community service
In 2015, UK Athletics made the bold vision of 15 by 15 by 15 a reality. It wasn’t long before Mitch Barnhart charted an even more ambitious course: Elite 1-3-5.
 
The spirit of Elite 1-3-5 is simple: to establish UK Athletics among the truly elite athletics departments in America. Its specifics are as follows. By 2022, we will:
  • 1 – Win a conference or national championship in every sport
  • 3 – Sustain a 3.0 cumulative GPA
  • 5 – Reach the Directors’ Cup top five
Reaching those goals won’t be easy, but we are already making progress:
  • 1
    • Men’s soccer – 2015 C-USA regular season, 2018 C-USA regular season
    • Men’s basketball – 2016 SEC Tournament, 2017 SEC regular season and Tournament, 2018 SEC Tournament
    • Volleyball – 2017 SEC regular season
    • Rifle – 2018 national title
  • 3
    • 12 consecutive semesters with GPA above 3.0
  • 5
    • School-record 10th-place Directors’ Cup finish in 2016-17
By living out our Core Values and with the support of the Big Blue Nation, we will tirelessly pursue our goal to be elite in all we do.