Mark Pope joked his second roster at Kentucky had a payroll of “close to $200 million,” deflecting on specifics while later confirming he’s comfortable spending big on players — because the winningest program in the history of college basketball deserves the best at everything.
“Put NIL, put the transfer portal on the list,” he said. “Our job is to go be the best at everything. We’re not shying away from that. It’s important to us.”
$20 million has been the rumored number for the Wildcats all offseason with multiple confirmations that, at minimum, Kentucky would have the most expensive roster in the country in 2025-26.