Following the landmark settlement resolving three antitrust cases involving the NCAA, all student-athletes in Kentucky are required to report all deals made to use their name, image, or likeness through what's known as NIL Go.
So far, more than 500 students have signed in and 240 deals have been approved.
Barnhart described the changes as fast-paced over the past four months and appeared hopeful that future federal-level legislation could provide some more guardrails to guide what's now a patchwork of laws across the country.
The director did lament some specific changes that have come as a result of the settlement.
"We have suffered a little bit in loss of opportunity. The new rules of the settlement with the roster limitations, we had 675 student-athletes in our program. We were reduced to 530. We lost 145 opportunities for young people in our program. And that was not by our choice. That was by settlement choice," Barnhart explained. "I did not like that at all. That did not feel good to me."
Barnhart also took time to defend the opportunities given to student-athletes before the NIL settlement, saying UK has worked hard to support them over the years.
Rep. Matt Lehman worried aloud about the potential loss of games and maintaining a schedule the preserves match-ups that fans value.
"I do worry about, with these added pressures financially and with the conference realignment, how do we protect some of these traditions?" he said. "The rivalry, you know this is important to the people of Kentucky and they make a real economic impact on communities."
Barnhart agreed and assured Lehman he doesn't believe UK will need help in scheduling.