Beyond ‘Caturday’: New commercial celebrates UK’s impact across Kentucky
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 31, 2026) — On game day, we see the fans and fireworks.
We hear the cheers and chants.
We experience what it feels like when tens of thousands of fans come together at Kroger Field to support the University of Kentucky.
Kentucky shows up for the Cats.
But as the sun sets on Caturday, and a new week begins…
UK shows up for Kentucky.
In every corner of this Commonwealth, UK faculty, staff, students and alumni put in the work — in partnership with communities — to help advance Kentucky.
This is the promise behind the 2026-27 TV commercial for the University of Kentucky.
The UK Marketing and Strategic Communication Creative Services team worked with colleagues across campus to identify real moments that demonstrate UK’s impact across the state.
These moments are presented as days of the week — beyond game day — to show how the UK family works with Kentuckians to make our state an even better place to live, work and thrive every single day.
Highlights include:
- UK Cooperative Extension Service at work at Walnut Grove Farm near Russellville;
- ESCAPE-Water Testing at Squabble Creek in Buckhorn;
- Back to School Extravaganza at Consolidated Baptist Church in Lexington;
- Movement Mentors at Park City Elementary School;
- Innovation at work at the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering in Paducah;
- UK HealthCare Gene Therapy Pediatric Patient at a park in Raceland.
The pride we feel in the Cats begins on game day, but that is only the beginning. The viewer’s perspective then moves across the state to experience UK’s impact in communities, industries and lives before returning to game day, where it all begins again.
In addition to collaboration across campus to make the visual elements possible, the voice behind this year’s spot is that of Alexis Sheffield, a former UK Extension agent for horticulture and current extension specialist and co-director of the Center for Crop Diversification.
In this year’s spot, her voice helps tie together the common thread across the Commonwealth — the University of Kentucky.
From Paducah to Park City. From Raceland to Russellville.
We advance Kentucky.
Everywhere.
Every day.
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During the upcoming academic year, UKNow will continue to showcase more about these moments of impact across Kentucky.
If you have ideas for stories that demonstrate this impact, please share them here.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and healthcare. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $1.02 billion research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.