Matt Jones says UK will not have as much NIL for next season

LowerLevel

Sophomore
Jul 4, 2025
96
118
33
Not surprised NIL will go down. I think across NCAA, people may be more hesitant. It was the cool, new shiny thing for companies to throw money at but now some may be questioning actual return on investment with player “injuries”, transfers, etc. Also, specific to UK, what if by chance football has a decent year..will nil money go to them and take some away from basketball?
 
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TheBlueMist

All-Conference
Feb 5, 2004
2,035
4,897
113
Next year may be heartbreaking. A team made up of a coach and kids who want to win for Kentucky, but lack the skills to do so...and everyone will see it play out slowly, in real time. I foresee more records being broken (and not the good ones).

Thank goodness for the fresh start and good vibes coming from the football team.
 

FatCatMan

All-Conference
Feb 19, 2026
1,355
3,223
113
Next year may be heartbreaking. A team made up of a coach and kids who want to win for Kentucky, but lack the skills to do so...and everyone will see it play out slowly, in real time. I foresee more records being broken (and not the good ones).

Thank goodness for the fresh start and good vibes coming from the football team.
If Pope wanted to win for Kentucky, he’d know he’s not the answer and resign. He’s currently holding the program hostage and is leaving no takers.
 

ComebackCats98

All-Conference
Jul 2, 2025
605
1,764
93
I’m telling yall, I don’t see how they can bring this back again.
I don’t think they have a choice. Eli puts a video out this weekend talking about how the university has to start cutting costs. Matt Jones mentioned it on the KSR postgame show. Stoops is owed $38,000,000 or $39,000,000. Barnhart is getting his $900,000+ for the retirement gig. You’d have to pay Pope and his staff’s buyout which is like $17,000,000 for just Pope I believe and hire an entirely new basketball staff. That would probably be at least $6,000,000 - $12,000,000 and that’s if they don’t hire another coach with a buyout like Pope had. They had to give BYU $5,000,000. Our programs are in bad shape financially from these ridiculous contracts. People hate Cal on here, but he could have REALLY held the program hostage with his and we’d be even worse off financially
 

FatCatMan

All-Conference
Feb 19, 2026
1,355
3,223
113
I don’t think they have a choice. Eli puts a video out this weekend talking about how the university has to start cutting costs. Matt Jones mentioned it on the KSR postgame show. Stoops is owed $38,000,000 or $39,000,000. Barnhart is getting his $900,000+ for the retirement gig. You’d have to pay Pope and his staff’s buyout which is like $17,000,000 for just Pope I believe and hire an entirely new basketball staff. That would probably be at least $6,000,000 - $12,000,000 and that’s if they don’t hire another coach with a buyout like Pope had. They had to give BYU $5,000,000. Our programs are in bad shape financially from these ridiculous contracts. People hate Cal on here, but he could have REALLY held the program hostage with his and we’d be even worse off financially
And yet we crap on Cal but left us without taking a buyout while Pope really is holding us hostage by refusing to do the graceful thing and resigning. Pope might be a scumbag if he knows that he’s not going to make it next year but chooses to come back anyway.
 
Jan 30, 2004
105,514
12,523
78
I don’t think they have a choice. Eli puts a video out this weekend talking about how the university has to start cutting costs. Matt Jones mentioned it on the KSR postgame show. Stoops is owed $38,000,000 or $39,000,000. Barnhart is getting his $900,000+ for the retirement gig. You’d have to pay Pope and his staff’s buyout which is like $17,000,000 for just Pope I believe and hire an entirely new basketball staff. That would probably be at least $6,000,000 - $12,000,000 and that’s if they don’t hire another coach with a buyout like Pope had. They had to give BYU $5,000,000. Our programs are in bad shape financially from these ridiculous contracts. People hate Cal on here, but he could have REALLY held the program hostage with his and we’d be even worse off financially
better take out a loan
 
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entropy13

All-American
Apr 27, 2010
3,541
6,747
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I don’t think they have a choice. Eli puts a video out this weekend talking about how the university has to start cutting costs. Matt Jones mentioned it on the KSR postgame show. Stoops is owed $38,000,000 or $39,000,000. Barnhart is getting his $900,000+ for the retirement gig. You’d have to pay Pope and his staff’s buyout which is like $17,000,000 for just Pope I believe and hire an entirely new basketball staff. That would probably be at least $6,000,000 - $12,000,000 and that’s if they don’t hire another coach with a buyout like Pope had. They had to give BYU $5,000,000. Our programs are in bad shape financially from these ridiculous contracts. People hate Cal on here, but he could have REALLY held the program hostage with his and we’d be even worse off financially
You were 💯 dead on until your last sentence. Cal's dumb a$$ tripped over his own ego, and UK was lucky he didn't realize he was violating his own contract. That's it, end of story. That's why we're not even in a worse financial position than we are.
 

FatCatMan

All-Conference
Feb 19, 2026
1,355
3,223
113
So they overspent on a bunch of guys this year that shouldn't wear a UK jersey and now they don't have any money left? Or they have some donors that don't want to give Pope more money going forward? Either way, it's a disaster.
There’ll probably always be money for Kentucky basketball. But boosters are giving their vote of no confidence on Pope. Dude is donezo regardless if he comes back next year or not.
 

Skyguyb27

All-American
Feb 12, 2008
4,654
7,735
113
I don’t think they have a choice. Eli puts a video out this weekend talking about how the university has to start cutting costs. Matt Jones mentioned it on the KSR postgame show. Stoops is owed $38,000,000 or $39,000,000. Barnhart is getting his $900,000+ for the retirement gig. You’d have to pay Pope and his staff’s buyout which is like $17,000,000 for just Pope I believe and hire an entirely new basketball staff. That would probably be at least $6,000,000 - $12,000,000 and that’s if they don’t hire another coach with a buyout like Pope had. They had to give BYU $5,000,000. Our programs are in bad shape financially from these ridiculous contracts. People hate Cal on here, but he could have REALLY held the program hostage with his and we’d be even worse off financially
Cut off Pope’s NIL fund and say up
to you but if you stay we both know you’ll ruin your name. He would do the right thing. Now, would the boosters do that? No clue.
 

Cerberus

Freshman
Mar 17, 2026
49
59
18
If Pope wanted to win for Kentucky, he’d know he’s not the answer and resign. He’s currently holding the program hostage and is leaving no takers.
Yea I know I would just give up 15 million and say see ya! Folks I know it gets old but this is all on Mitch and company! Do you really expect Mark to just walk away from that kind of money? Would you?
 
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FatCatMan

All-Conference
Feb 19, 2026
1,355
3,223
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Yea I know I would just give up 15 million and say see ya! Folks I know it gets old but this is all on Mitch and company! Do you really expect Mark to just walk away from that kind of money? Would you?
He’s already a multimillionaire. Is $15 million really worth sacrificing your so-called beloved basketball program for?
 

kfwa

Senior
Oct 12, 2014
402
743
93
Based on recent reports from Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR), here is the 2026-2027 outlook regarding NIL money at the University of Kentucky:
  • New Financial Structure: Starting around August 2025, a 15-year partnership with JMI Sports—valued at $465 million—will take over the responsibility for negotiating NIL endorsement deals for UK athletes.
  • Revenue Sharing Budget: This new deal is designed to fund the school's revenue-sharing budget, which is projected to be around $20.6 million for the 2025-26 period, with a 4% annual increase projected for following years.
  • NIL Strategy: Jones has stated that Kentucky now has the necessary funds to remain competitive in the revenue-sharing era.
 

BlueVoodoux

Sophomore
Jul 5, 2025
58
186
33
Sounds like boosters already told Pope to piss off about big NIL $$$ for next season so he’s using the ‘right players” BS .

Did he also use the term “student athlete”? So dated. He’s a throwback going through a mid-life crisis, reliving his glory days and

taking the program straight down the tubes.