"Trying to buy themselves out of relevancy": Fans troll Mark Pope's Kentucky for it's NIL payroll as analyst makes bold claim
College basketball insider Jeff Goodman highlighted Mark Pope's Kentucky's NIL budget, while speaking on Monday's episode of "The Field Of 68: After Dark." Goodman said that the Wildcats are slated to have upwards of $12 million dedicated purely to NIL. This means that the amount will help college athletes legally earn money by promoting brands, endorsements and other participations off the court.
Coaching salaries, scholarships and other facilities will not be included in this statement, highlighting the vastness of the University of Kentucky's payroll.
"I think Kentucky could be they could be number one," he said (at 3:29). "I mean it could be BYU Kentucky at the end of the day that are number one and two at upwards of $12 million for an NIL payroll."
Jeff Goodman later backed up his take on X, posting that even BYU would not be able to touch Kentucky NIL allotment for the 2025-26 season.
"I'm not sure anyone is gonna touch Kentucky's NIL payroll this season ... not even BYU."
Fans reacted to Goodman's take by bashing Mark Pope's program:
"They are trying to buy themselves out of irrelevancy," one fan said.
"Shit they have been buying players this whole decade, and look at it turns out LMAO," a fan said.
"I mean their roster isn’t even all that great," another fan said.
More fans joined in, poking fun at the Wildcats:
"When your athletic department is only one sport….," a fan said.
"Then why couldn't UK recruit one decent shooter?" another fan said.
"Overpaying average players does not equal good process lol," one fan said.
Mark Pope had no other choice than to rely on the transfer portal
When Mark Pope gripped Kentucky in April 2024, he was met with a vacant roster. All the Wildcats' players had either transferred to other schools, declared for the NBA draft or exhausted their eligibility. Four of those players followed John Calipari to Arkansas. Moreover, Jayden Quaintance, Karter Knox and other high-profile UK recruits also changed their mind.
With that, Pope had to rely heavily on the transfer portal to build his first-year roster. He bought in nine players from different programs, hoping that their D1 experience would help establish a competitive foundation.
Mark Pope led Kentucky to wins against Duke, Gonzaga, Texas A&M and other notable programs, helping the team make a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA tournament.