Kentucky's $22 million NIL payroll shouldn't come as a surprise -- or with an apology

We’re 18 days away from the start of college basketball season, and Kentucky Basketball has a big ole bullseye on its back, thanks to some new numbers out today from the Herald-Leader.

Ben Roberts is reporting that Kentucky spent around $22 million on the 2025-26 roster, which is nearly double last year’s payroll and way more than any other team in college basketball this season. We’d heard estimates of $20 million before, but the fact that it’s more — and it’s in newsprint — is raising eyebrows across the sport. That number was as of the House settlement going into effect on July 1, so it could be even higher if the Cats add NIL deals as the season goes on.

The internet is having a field day with the news, as you might expect, the most common reaction being that with that kind of budget, Kentucky better win. Expectations for this season were already high (they always are), but now that fans know exactly how much Kentucky spent to assemble this roster — $22 million when most teams are spending $10 million — will the bar rise even higher? Jeff Goodman tweeted that if Kentucky doesn’t go to the Final Four, given its payroll, it will be considered a disappointment. You could argue the same could be said when Kentucky’s roster was stacked with future NBA Draft picks. Either way, it’s a lot of pressure to put on a team in an event that can sometimes come down to sheer luck.

Prepare to hear about the $22 million payroll all season. It will be a footnote in almost every broadcast, a punchline when Kentucky loses, and a flippant dismissal if the Cats end up winning it all. “Of course they did, they spent $22 million on their team.” Considering that Kentucky hasn’t made the Final Four in a decade, it’s easy to get nervous that this is out there.

That said, the number being out there can also be a good thing. It firmly establishes Kentucky as the leader in NIL and revenue-sharing in men’s basketball. Roberts also reported that Kentucky is dedicating 25-30% of its $20.5 million rev-share budget to men’s basketball this season, much, much higher than their SEC counterparts and among the highest in the country. Kentucky’s reputation in recruiting precedes itself, but money talks now more than ever, and a highly-ranked prospect hearing that Kentucky is paying the big bucks can’t be a bad thing.

That brings us to Tyran Stokes. Stokes, the No. 1 player in the 2026 class, is down to five finalists: Kentucky, Oregon, Kansas, Louisville, and USC. There were rumors he would announce his decision last week, but obviously, that didn’t happen. According to Joe Tipton, Kentucky is still considered the frontrunner, but Kansas is making a push. The Cats could have an edge over the Jayhawks, due to their partnership with Nike, which signed a deal with Stokes a few weeks ago (Kansas is an Adidas school). I doubt today’s report has any influence on Stokes, who is courting offers of staggering amounts, but if he does choose Kentucky, thanks in part to an NIL package with Nike, it could set an interesting precedent moving forward.

Back to the present. Mark Pope’s first Kentucky team, which was put together at the last minute with about half of this year’s budget, reached the Sweet 16; given the injuries they faced, that should be considered an overachievement. With that in mind, Mark Pope built one of the deepest rosters in college basketball, shelling out for guys who would be considered role players on other teams. There are a few stars on this squad — Preseason SEC Player of the Year Otega Oweh, projected top ten draft pick Jayden Quaintance, and Jaland Lowe, if he makes the jump we hope — but the real investment is in the rest. Unlike teams like BYU, which dug deep for AJ Dybantsa, who is rumored to be earning $5-7 million in NIL, Kentucky’s $22 million was spread out to address its weaknesses last year: depth and defense. If you were a college coach with those types of resources, wouldn’t you do the same?

That brings me to my ultimate point: never apologize for Kentucky Basketball investing in itself. Those who want you to are just jealous their team can’t do the same. It’s been happening for decades; the difference now is that the dollar figures are more public because of revenue-sharing and NIL, and it makes people who haven’t accepted the changes in college sports squeamish. The returns on Kentucky Basketball’s investments haven’t been good over the last several years. The expectations are high this season, as they always are. A dollar figure won’t change that.

It’s a good thing Pope and the team keep seeing number nines everywhere.

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