Where OU hoops ranks in SEC NIL spending

There’s no doubt that the Oklahoma basketball job is one of the most difficult jobs in the SEC.

Regardless of where you stand on Porter Moser and whether or not things with him and the Sooners are working, here are some details that will help you understand why this job is difficult, for Moser or whoever is coaching at Oklahoma.

It’s no secret that the Sooners had a larger NIL budget to work with this past season and that’s why they were able to land transfers like Nijel Pack, Tae Davis, and others. It’s also why, despite this roster’s recent struggles, this is by far Moser’s most talented team.

Let’s pull back the curtain just a bit and examine how much Oklahoma spent on this roster and where it stacks up against the SEC teams they’re competing with.

The Sooners spent a total of 6.5 million dollars on their 2025-26 roster, sources tell OUInsider. A vastly improved number from past seasons. However, where does that stack up in the SEC?

Per multiple sources, Oklahoma ranks 15th out of 16 in NIL spending, ahead of just South Carolina who spent around 5.5 million dollars. The teams who ranked just ahead of the Sooners outspent them by at least 1.5 million dollars.

Here’s the full rankings of SEC spending this past season, according to sources:

– Kentucky: ~ 20 million

– Vandy: 10 million +

– Florida: 10 million +

– Texas A&M: 10 million +

– Arkansas: 10 million +

– Missouri: 10 million +

– Tennessee: 10 million +

– Auburn: 10 million +

– Texas: 10 million +

– Georgia: 8-10 million

– LSU: 8-10 million

– Mississippi State: 8-10 million

– Alabama: 8-10 million

– Ole Miss: 8-10 million

– Oklahoma: 6.5 million

– South Carolina: 5.5 million

This list should illustrate how, despite increasing NIL spending and Oklahoma having a much better roster that should be able to stack up much better against SEC opponents, the gap is still significant.

The talent discrepancy on this roster is not as glaring as years past, and that’s why it feels like there is less of an excuse for Moser this season. But take Oklahoma’s game against Florida for example. The Gators spent around 6 million on their top three players. That is OU’s entire roster.

The biggest area that you will see a discrepancy due to the NIL budgets is the front court. The market for centers has been described as “insane.” That’s the biggest difference you will see from teams with an extra 1.5-3.5 million to play with. They can actually afford a big.

Oklahoma sort of got lucky with their roster being as talented as it is this past season. They had their four transfers who they paid up for, but outside of that, their entire bench had zero D1 experience which made them affordable. And they were able to retain a serviceable center in Mohamed Wague.

The Sooners sit at 11-6 and 1-3 in conference play. Any criticism around Moser is fair and probably deserved, but this should illustrate how difficult of a job this will be for anyone at the helm until Oklahoma ponies up and commits to caring about basketball.

Not a subscriber? Join OUInsider now and get your first week for just $1. No, this deal is NOT too good to be true! Take advantage today and get the market’s best Oklahoma football and recruiting intel!

Click HERE to subscribe today!