College sports isn’t broken. Duke just proved it’s for sale. What if Ohio State is next?

CRZ4UK

Heisman
Jun 6, 2008
5,030
10,032
103
Wonderful, everyone who thought this model was unsustainable and would be solved was only kidding themselves. It’s about to get much worse. 😔
Good thing is , I’ve checked out about 50%. I probably won’t be around to see the final product. I missed 6-7 games last year in favor of doing something else.
 

TX Wildcat

All-Conference
Apr 12, 2024
1,120
2,409
113
Do like the NBA put sponsors all over the jerseys look like a damn passport being stamped through ever country. 🤷🏻‍♂️ 🤷🏻‍♂️ 🤷🏻‍♂️
JMI is already exploring jersey sponsorship deals.

Get ready for your University of Kentucky Skyline Chili Wildcats!

Cincinnati Bengals GIF by Skyline Chili
 

Wayne Dougan

All-Conference
Aug 11, 2025
364
1,106
93
Texas tried this bullcrap with the Longhorn Network - it failed miserably. The thing these leagues don't seem to understand is that there has to be some level of perceived fairness because that's what competition is all about. Let's say that five programs more or less corner the streaming market and have NIL packages that dwarf everybody else. The remaining schools are going to want anything to do with them.
 

DudahUK

Heisman
Jul 23, 2020
7,072
11,245
113
Texas tried this bullcrap with the Longhorn Network - it failed miserably. The thing these leagues don't seem to understand is that there has to be some level of perceived fairness because that's what competition is all about. Let's say that five programs more or less corner the streaming market and have NIL packages that dwarf everybody else. The remaining schools are going to want anything to do with them.
Agreed and that looks like the way we are heading. I wouldn’t care if UK played on Amazon cause I have Prime. It would suck for a lot of the older fans for sure. This new age blows imo. Is what it is though, gotta play with the fire and hope we don’t get burned.
 
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LineSkiCat14

Heisman
Aug 5, 2015
39,109
61,421
113
Said it over and over.. the teams with money who are dedicated to their program, are the ones who will thrive in the NIL era. Duke can buy their basketball titles without blinking, same with Ohio St for football. It was going to be all too easy for Duke to tap into any Doctors multi-million dollar practice to fund this team. And they are smart to do so. Nothing in the rule book stopping them, except that fans know they are now just buying their wins in a sport that doesnt have a salary cap (a la MLB).. but I don't think Duke fans are gonna lose sleep.

The NIL era was always going to help the rich schools and the schools in big markets. Kentucky is really neither. If we want to soend $20mil/year in NIL (still dont believe we ever did), Duke and Michigan can turn around and outbid us if we want and simply spend more.

Hopefully the right coach/AD, spending top15 on a roster and leaning into the BBN fanbase will help pull the boat. But Duke is going to be tough to beat.
 

KyWilson239

Junior
Jan 17, 2016
103
210
43
We just need more billionaire UK fans! Maybe Larry Ellison's next wife will be a UK fan and not a Michigan fan.
 
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Major_Tom

Freshman
Apr 16, 2010
854
91
21
Said it over and over.. the teams with money who are dedicated to their program, are the ones who will thrive in the NIL era. Duke can buy their basketball titles without blinking, same with Ohio St for football. It was going to be all too easy for Duke to tap into any Doctors multi-million dollar practice to fund this team. And they are smart to do so. Nothing in the rule book stopping them, except that fans know they are now just buying their wins in a sport that doesnt have a salary cap (a la MLB).. but I don't think Duke fans are gonna lose sleep.

The NIL era was always going to help the rich schools and the schools in big markets. Kentucky is really neither. If we want to soend $20mil/year in NIL (still dont believe we ever did), Duke and Michigan can turn around and outbid us if we want and simply spend more.

Hopefully the right coach/AD, spending top15 on a roster and leaning into the BBN fanbase will help pull the boat. But Duke is going to be tough to beat.
Making the rich richer is what this country is all about! Some analysts are saying that eventually, if we are patient, it will trickle down to the smaller and less fortunate schools.
 

NociHTTP

Heisman
Mar 8, 2023
12,634
19,840
113
JMI is already exploring jersey sponsorship deals.

Get ready for your University of Kentucky Skyline Chili Wildcats!

Cincinnati Bengals GIF by Skyline Chili
If something like that happens, I'm done. I'm already completely against paying collegiate players like they're semi-professional players, selling out logos, mascots, stadiums is my breaking point.
 

DudahUK

Heisman
Jul 23, 2020
7,072
11,245
113
We may have the eyeballs in basketball but football rules. Plus many of our fans will refuse to pay streaming fees.
We have a big fanbase period. Agree about the last part. That’s the real issue. Just listen to KSR when a game is on a streaming service and the older people freak out. I personally wouldn’t mind it but I have all that stuff and know how to work it.
 

mhs1964

Junior
Feb 8, 2018
364
387
58
Said it over and over.. the teams with money who are dedicated to their program, are the ones who will thrive in the NIL era. Duke can buy their basketball titles without blinking, same with Ohio St for football. It was going to be all too easy for Duke to tap into any Doctors multi-million dollar practice to fund this team. And they are smart to do so. Nothing in the rule book stopping them, except that fans know they are now just buying their wins in a sport that doesnt have a salary cap (a la MLB).. but I don't think Duke fans are gonna lose sleep.

The NIL era was always going to help the rich schools and the schools in big markets. Kentucky is really neither. If we want to soend $20mil/year in NIL (still dont believe we ever did), Duke and Michigan can turn around and outbid us if we want and simply spend more.

Hopefully the right coach/AD, spending top15 on a roster and leaning into the BBN fanbase will help pull the boat. But Duke is going to be tough to beat.
Sean Miller was reported to have said that there have been 10-15 schools which have already spent 20-25 million on basketball players for the upcoming season. These schools most likely include Louisville. Good luck to us. I don’t think we can swim in that pool for long.
 

billCgmx_

All-Conference
Apr 23, 2009
765
4,949
93
This is ridiculous. I asked AI many streaming services you need to watch NFL game this past season

To watch all NFL games, including out-of-market matchups, you need a combination of roughly 7 to 10 streaming platforms or channels. Key services include YouTube TV (with Sunday Ticket), Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, Paramount+, ESPN+, and Netflix. Costs are high, often exceeding $700–$900 for the season. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Essential Streaming Services & Channels:
  • YouTube TV + Sunday Ticket: Crucial for watching all out-of-market Sunday afternoon games (CBS/Fox).
  • Amazon Prime Video: Exclusive home for Thursday Night Football.
  • Peacock: Needed for Sunday Night Football and select exclusive games.
    • Paramount+: Covers local CBS games.
    • ESPN+/ESPN: Required for Monday Night Football and exclusive international games.
    • Netflix: Exclusively streaming specific holiday games (e.g., Christmas).
    • NFL+ Premium: Provides access to local games on mobile and RedZone. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
 

BlueBloodKyFan72

All-Conference
Apr 18, 2026
631
1,046
93
Making the rich richer is what this country is all about! Some analysts are saying that eventually, if we are patient, it will trickle down to the smaller and less fortunate schools.
BIG fish eat small fish the rich and powerful teams will use that to demolish others. You will start seeing the same top 10-20 teams getting the goods. It’s coming up with creative ways to spike your spending without bankrupting yourself.
 

DudahUK

Heisman
Jul 23, 2020
7,072
11,245
113
Said it over and over.. the teams with money who are dedicated to their program, are the ones who will thrive in the NIL era. Duke can buy their basketball titles without blinking, same with Ohio St for football. It was going to be all too easy for Duke to tap into any Doctors multi-million dollar practice to fund this team. And they are smart to do so. Nothing in the rule book stopping them, except that fans know they are now just buying their wins in a sport that doesnt have a salary cap (a la MLB).. but I don't think Duke fans are gonna lose sleep.

The NIL era was always going to help the rich schools and the schools in big markets. Kentucky is really neither. If we want to soend $20mil/year in NIL (still dont believe we ever did), Duke and Michigan can turn around and outbid us if we want and simply spend more.

Hopefully the right coach/AD, spending top15 on a roster and leaning into the BBN fanbase will help pull the boat. But Duke is going to be tough to beat.
Look no further than Texas. Miller seems to have it going on in Austin and he recruited well but did poor at Arizona. Texas has stupid money. Same for A&M.
 

BlueBloodKyFan72

All-Conference
Apr 18, 2026
631
1,046
93
If something like that happens, I'm done. I'm already completely against paying collegiate players like they're semi-professional players, selling out logos, mascots, stadiums is my breaking point.
It’s coming will be like the NBA with endorsements on the jersey. Wait until they start covering up their shoes because they have other school deals.
 

WeWant9

Heisman
Dec 18, 2013
6,952
18,499
113
It’s coming will be like the NBA with endorsements on the jersey. Wait until they start covering up their shoes because they have other school deals.
Heck, at this point lets get sponsorships by Jimmy Johns and Red Bull and the bench guys can be shown eating sandwiches and drinking on the bench all game.
 
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20MRoster

All-Conference
Nov 16, 2018
1,274
2,521
108
Making the rich richer is what this country is all about! Some analysts are saying that eventually, if we are patient, it will trickle down to the smaller and less fortunate schools.
Trickle down economics has never worked in the history of the world. Money flows uphill, **** flows downhill. This concept transcends civilizations, cultures, nations, etc.
 

LineSkiCat14

Heisman
Aug 5, 2015
39,109
61,421
113
Do we have the money to compete?

This is a total guess, but I dont think we have the funds to compete with the top 5. I didnt even think the supposed $20mil/year roster was sustainable or real. But I still think UK could be a top25 spender, as our fans give more, KY businesses care more about the program, etc.

Hopefully the time comes where Duke realizes that spending $50mil/year on its basketball program has no chance of ever giving a decent ROI and they dial it back.
 

UKBB4Ever

All-Conference
Jul 3, 2025
2,035
3,572
113
Said it over and over.. the teams with money who are dedicated to their program, are the ones who will thrive in the NIL era. Duke can buy their basketball titles without blinking, same with Ohio St for football. It was going to be all too easy for Duke to tap into any Doctors multi-million dollar practice to fund this team. And they are smart to do so. Nothing in the rule book stopping them, except that fans know they are now just buying their wins in a sport that doesnt have a salary cap (a la MLB).. but I don't think Duke fans are gonna lose sleep.

The NIL era was always going to help the rich schools and the schools in big markets. Kentucky is really neither. If we want to soend $20mil/year in NIL (still dont believe we ever did), Duke and Michigan can turn around and outbid us if we want and simply spend more.

Hopefully the right coach/AD, spending top15 on a roster and leaning into the BBN fanbase will help pull the boat. But Duke is going to be tough to beat.
Ky has more money available for basketball than any of them.
 
Apr 29, 2026
45
86
18
I think its all time that we came to the difficult conclusion that the days of Kentucky being better than Duke are over under the current system. Any hope for a return to those days ended with NIL and the nail was placed in the coffin with Barnhart's JMI deal. As mentioned all that we can ever hope for as Kentucky is that Duke somewhow grows tired of winning in basketball and having a top ten team. Kentucky is never going to consistently be as good as Duke again unless something changes with NIL or Duke decides its done being a contender.

I still believe Kentucky can compete with other teams and can be a top 25 team with work and dedication but it is never going to be the best basketball program again. The only metric of success that Kentucky has over Duke is winning the last head to head. When it comes to regular season success, tournament success, and recruiting Duke has destroyed Kentucky. Duke unfortunately is superior until there is a major shift with NIL and to pretend otherwise is irrational.
 

BlueCane

Redshirt
Apr 21, 2026
15
12
3
I think its all time that we came to the difficult conclusion that the days of Kentucky being better than Duke are over under the current system. Any hope for a return to those days ended with NIL and the nail was placed in the coffin with Barnhart's JMI deal. As mentioned all that we can ever hope for as Kentucky is that Duke somewhow grows tired of winning in basketball and having a top ten team. Kentucky is never going to consistently be as good as Duke again unless something changes with NIL or Duke decides its done being a contender.

I still believe Kentucky can compete with other teams and can be a top 25 team with work and dedication but it is never going to be the best basketball program again. The only metric of success that Kentucky has over Duke is winning the last head to head. When it comes to regular season success, tournament success, and recruiting Duke has destroyed Kentucky. Duke unfortunately is superior until there is a major shift with NIL and to pretend otherwise is irrational.
I actually think it is worse than you outlined here. I agree with everything you said for the most part. But I am not sure Kentucky is a top 25 contender with this model. There are easily 25 programs with more resources than Kentucky. I might argue we are second in or own state. Time will tell. But I don't look for Kentucky to ever win a championship again. Really I don't think they will ever come close. I was born and raised here. I have seen 4 coaches win championships. I never thought I would see this. And to be honest I am at the point of not caring. I think I only care out of habit. I'd rather watch horse racing, go for a run, go for a hike. The weather is about the only reason I would watch a game anymore. Winter is tuff to get out sometimes. And there is no daylight. I miss so many games now. I just don't watch. It's not fun. It's brutal. Find new things to do. It would not be fun anyway if you win with Team Amazon....would it? Or team Papa Johns. Or team UPS. It is like minor league baseball, except even they have a draft and some rules.
 
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