[Wildcatk23]

Barnhart, a Kansas native, issued a statement saying Kansas had not formally reached out to him about the position.
“We have received calls from friends and supporters of the university about the athletic director position at Kansas,” Barnhart said in the release. “I have not been formally contacted by the University of Kansas.”
Barnhart, who was born in Kansas City and graduated from Ottawa University in Kansas, acknowledged his ties to the state but stated his commitment to UK.
“I am 100 percent focused on UK Athletics,” Barnhart said.