Kentucky’s $22 Million Squad Is By Far The Most Expensive In College Basketball

Kentucky’s $22 Million Squad Is By Far The Most Expensive In College Basketball

What's the price tag on a national championship? That's what Kentucky intends to find out.According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, the 2025-26 Wildcats roster carries a staggering payroll of roughly $22 million, making it by far the most expensive in college basketball history. For comparison, most top-tier programs are floating somewhere around the $10 million range.The number reportedly doubled expectations and is more than five times what Jo…

The Gold Standard: Kentucky Reportedly Has A $22 Million NIL Roster In Basketball This Year, 'Likely' The Highest In The Sport. The Way It Should Be

“The payroll number for the UK basketball team this season is around $22 million, the Herald-Leader has been told,” Ben Roberts wrote in a piece published Thursday morning. “That was the nu...

Herald-Leader Report Says Kentucky Spent $22 Million on Men’s Basketball

According to a report by the Herald-Leader, UK Athletics allocated approximately $22 million to the 2025-26 men’s basketball team. If those numbers are even remotely true, it likely means that UK has the highest payroll in college basketball. To put $22 million into perspective, the payroll number for John Calipari’s final Kentucky team was said to be “less than $4 million.” Here is an excerpt: What will the collective earnings be for this Kentu…