Kentucky Basketball, John Calipari Launching New NIL Fund
With the change in college basketball in recent seasons, Kentucky and many other programs have had to change their ways of recruiting. The Wildcats are in the mix for the top recruits every season and with the latest NIL news, they should continue to be.
Kentucky understands that to stay at the top, they need to have NIL money. It's the harsh truth of college basketball and from the looks of things, it won't be changing anytime soon.
According to Matt Jones of On3, Kentucky is expected to launch a NIL fund on Thursday with the “purpose of making UK basketball the top NIL destination in college basketball.” The legendary head coach in Calipari is expected to be included in the launch.
NIL has been a problem for Kentucky in the past, specifically in the collective landscape. Kentucky was one of the last schools to add a collective in the SEC, a surprising fact given the level of play they've produced on the court and in other sports.
This announcement will only be for the basketball program, according to On3. With it March Madness time as Selection Sunday will happen this week, there's no better time than now to announce the new NIL moves.
On3 reports that the top college basketball collectives have a payroll between $1-$4 million, an insane number that will only continue to grow.
If Kentucky isn't near that level yet, it's scary to think of the recruits Calipari will pull off when they are.
The Wildcats are the No. 2 seed in the SEC conference and will look to win the tournament in the coming days.