The battle for the top prize in the 2026 recruiting class, consensus No. 1 player Tyran Stokes, is heating up, and it’s shaping into a clash of titans. For months, the narrative seemed simple: a two-horse race between Kentucky and Louisville. While insiders gave the Wildcats a slight edge, the landscape of college athletics is defined by seismic shifts, and one hit Lawrence, Kansas.
The $300 million Kansas money cannon
The game changed when Kansas received a monumental $300 million gift from donor David Booth, one of the largest single donations in the history of college athletics.