Men’s basketball reportedly boasts $22 million NIL budget for 2025-26

While different numbers were thrown around, including a “$20 million” total during the summer, a report from the Lexington Herald-Leader Thursday morning dropped the bombshell that the actual number is around a staggering $22 million. 

While the number alone is worthy of awe, what is more notable is that the figure blows out what is expected from most, if not all, others in the country this season.

The feeling is that, while a few other top programs have exceeded $10 million in NIL spending, Kentucky is far and away the most expensive roster in the country.

Herald-Leader detailed that John Calipari’s final team in Lexington

The report from the Herald-Leader detailed that John Calipari’s final team in Lexington, which featured highly famed freshmen Aaron Bradshaw, DJ Wagner, Justin Edwards, Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard, along with a returning Antonio Reeves and more, cost a bit less than $4 million and Mark Pope’s first squad in Lexington was around double that figure.

Kentucky went out and not only returned important players like Otega Oweh and Brandon Garrison, but also signed Tulane’s Kam Williams, reigning national champion and former Florida Gator Denzel Aberdeen, Pittsburgh’s Jaland Lowe, Alabama’s Mouhamed Dioubate and Arizona State’s Jayden Quaintance. On top of that, the Wildcats brought in highly-ranked freshmen Jasper Johnson, Malachi Moreno and Braydon Hawthorne, while also signing European prospect Andrija Jelavic.

While it was common knowledge that this roster was expensive, and perhaps the most expensive in the country, the confirmation of the total in the report led to plenty of strong reactions.

“Anything short of a Final 4 is a disappointment for Mark Pope and Kentucky with that payroll,” the Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman posted on X.

Kentucky’s coaches and players have not shied away from the idea that, for them, the goal for the season is nothing short of a national championship, but, following the report from the Herald-Leader, it seems anything short of that will be seen as a monumental failure.

Things didn’t stop there, however, as far as the report from the Herald-Leader was concerned.

The NIL budget can be expected to continue to grow as the season progresses as new deals, now done through the NIL-Go portal, can continue to trickle in, though they will be harder to get vetted.

On top of that, as far as numbers go, the report over the summer detailing 45% of the Kentucky revenue sharing budget going toward basketball was said to be false quickly after it came out, but the report also provided some more clarity on that front.

As Oweh goes, so goes Kentucky and it’s up, up and up

Piter Bowman

It’s no surprise that Kentucky struggled early when Otega Oweh struggled. The same is true now as both Oweh and Kentucky ride a five-game win streak

As Oweh goes, so goes Kentucky and it’s up, up and up

Following a banner season during which he became the first SEC player in history to open a season with 26 consecutive games in double figures scoring, Otega Oweh entered this year as the cock of the walk.

The senior was tabbed SEC Preseason Player of the Year and pinned as the player to lead Kentucky’s bid for a national championship, a goal that his coach, Mark Pope, did little to dissuade.

Then the season began and Oweh fell on his face, as did the entire Kentucky team. Injuries, new faces, a difficult on-court mix all led the Cats to lose every important game it played – Louisville, Michigan State, North Carolina and Gonzaga.

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But it was the 35-point blowout loss to Gonzaga Dec. 5 in Nashville that was the tipping point for such a prideful player as Oweh.

“It was nasty, obviously, because it was the fourth one that we had dropped,” Oweh said. “We were just embarrassed as a group.”

Oweh, the team’s season in jeopardy and his own career post college at risk, returned to Lexington and promptly set about changing the narrative. He wasted no time be having what Pope deemed his best practice by far during his two years in Lexington.

In his next outing, Oweh topped 20 points for the first time this year. He has since done it seven times, raising his average from 13.7 points over the first nine games to 18 per game over the last 11. The number, 19.7, is even better when considering only SEC games.

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“We just got to be tired of the same thing of just going out there and not having good energy,” Oweh said. “That’s on me. I feel I got to be the leader in that department.”

Five of those 20-point outings have come in seven SEC games, including a season-best 23 on Saturday to lead Kentucky’s 72-63 win over Ole Miss, its fifth win in a row.

After Saturday’s win Pope was asked about Oweh falling roller coaster journey.

“You said that he fell short a little bit in the first half of the season and that he’s been really good in the second half. I appreciate you saying that because that’s the hallmark of this team, that’s what we do,” Pope said. “Maybe we have taken on that DNA.

“Listen, a season is a living, breathing thing,” Pope said. “Everybody, even a veteran like Otega, is facing new challenge and new dynamics and having to understand the game in a different way. I love learners and I feel like he’s been an amazing learner this season and that’s hard to do as a senior, but man, he’s on a run.”

For Oweh, everything he predicted in early December has begun to come true.

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“I have do better playing with a super high motor, super intentional, and keeping the intensity high,” Oweh said. “I’m trying to set the tone. I feel like when my energy is high, I feel like we’re better.”

Kentucky was 4-4 after the Gonzaga loss, 10-2 since that infamous day.

“I feel everything happens for a reason,” Oweh said in the days following the Gonzaga loss. “And I believe this is gonna be one of the most remembered years for all of us because we’re going to turn it around. It wasn’t the prettiest start, but it’s gonna end up being the best year.”  By Darrell Bird