The University of Kentucky and UK Athletics announced Tuesday a multiyear partnership with Hoot App Inc. (“Hoot”), a first-of-its-kind real-world social platform built on verified human presence™ and designed to transform how fans experience gameday together. This partnership makes the University of Kentucky Hoot’s flagship collegiate partner and positions Big Blue Nation at the center of a new era of connected fandom.
“Here at the University of Kentucky, we take a great deal of pride in the way the Wildcats bring people together, whether around our teams, our events, or the shared experiences that help make Big Blue Nation so special,” said Heath Price, UK associate vice president for partnerships, as part of the announcement on the UK Athletics website. “A new social network that is built around in-person experiences and real connection provides an intriguing new approach to online platforms. We look forward to learning how Hoot can provide ways for our fans, students, alumni, and community to engage with one another in a positive manner. We are excited to see the platform grow.”
Unlike traditional social platforms built around followers and algorithm-driven feeds, Hoot is designed to connect users attending the same events in real-time, the announcement states. Using location verification technology, Hoot activates “Canopies,” live, geofenced social spaces tied to stadiums, tailgates, campuses, and downtown districts. Through the app, Hoot users physically present within the Canopy can post, interact, and view live content shared by others who are there, creating a real-time feed built entirely around shared experiences.
“We did not build Hoot to be another social app. Those already exist,” said Hoot co-founder and CEO Drew Gordon. “We built it to be the first real-world social platform, where human presence is verified, moments are real, and what happens online finally matches what is happening in the world. Kentucky and JMI Sports recognized that before anyone else. That is why we are starting here.”
UK partner JMI Sports is a leading media rights and venue development company that provides management of collegiate multimedia rights, sponsorship sales agency representation, and project management expertise for the development of collegiate and professional sports facilities.
Ahead of the 2026-27 academic year, Hoot will activate the "Big Blue Nation Canopy" on gamedays, creating a live digital layer spanning UK Athletics’ venues, tailgates and campus, in addition to downtown Lexington. Within the Canopy, UK fans registered in the Hoot app will gain access to real-time updates, community-driven content and location-specific experiences designed to make every part of gameday more connected.
Key features include:
- "Landings" is Hoot’s real-time discovery feature that shows fans where the energy is happening on gameday. See where BBN is gathering before kickoff, locate active tailgates and alumni meetups, discover partner activations and promotions, and track the most popular hotspots as they emerge. Real-time activity signals help fans spend less time deciding where to go and more time experiencing the best moments of the day.
- "Echoes" are story-style updates that let fans share real-time photos, videos, posts and on-the-ground moments with others inside the Big Blue Nation Canopy, creating a live, fan-powered stream of gameday content.
- "HootMe" enables fans within a Canopy to message one another and receive alerts. Meet and connect with fellow fans one-off, receive section-specific alerts and organize chants, and stay connected.
- "HootDeals" allow fans attending games to access location-based offers, exclusive promotions, and loyalty rewards from local businesses, available only through the Hoot app.
For the millions of members of Big Blue Nation spread across the country and around the world, Hoot also creates new ways to connect with fellow fans outside of Lexington:
- "Birds Eye View" allows fans to virtually follow activity in the Big Blue Nation Canopy in real-time through a read-only experience that provides a live window into the gameday atmosphere.
- Hoot can also create "Pop-Up Canopies" in other major cities to connect UK fans outside the Commonwealth by organizing watch parties and activating alumni communities.
“As someone who grew up in Kentucky, and also had the privilege of being a student-athlete at UK, this partnership is incredibly personal for me,” said Hoot COO Sheena Ferguson Gordon. “Big Blue Nation is one of the most passionate communities in sports, and we believe Hoot is going to give fans, students, alumni, and the entire Wildcat community a completely new way to experience connection in real-time. We are beyond excited to bring Hoot home to Kentucky and build something Big Blue Nation is truly going to love.”
While Hoot will play a major role in enhancing the gameday experience, the platform extends far beyond athletics, per Tuesday's announcement. Designed as a real-time social layer for campus and community life, Hoot helps users discover what is happening around them, connect with others nearby, share live experiences, and engage with local businesses and events as they happen. Beginning Fall 2026, incoming UK students will also be introduced to Hoot as a new tool for real-time connection, discovery and campus engagement.
The agreement between UK, JMI and Hoot includes a comprehensive range of multimedia activations on-campus and during gamedays designed to integrate the platform into the student experience, including a significant presence throughout move-in weekend and K Week, as well as Presenting Partner status of Team Wildcat, the official UK Athletics student section.
