How Much Money Did Duke Spend on NIL for Cam Boozer, CBB Roster? Latest Rumors After UConn Loss
After Sunday's heartbreaking loss against UConn in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, Duke's offseason spending has come into question.
Pete Nakos of On3.com revealed that the Blue Devils were among the teams that spent "at least $10 million" in NIL money for their 2025-26 roster.
Unfortunately, Duke's spending spree didn't pay off, as the team blew a double-digit second-half lead before UConn freshman Braylon Mullins hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer after a late turnover to secure a 73-72 win for the Huskies. Mullins' shot will be added to the list of the greatest March Madness highlights.
Blue Devils star freshman Cam Boozer, who is one of the frontrunners for National Player of the Year, did his best to live up to his price tag with 27 points, eight rebounds and four assists in the loss. On3.com estimated his NIL value to be at $2.2 million.
In addition to Duke, Nakos noted that Arkansas, Houston, Michigan, St. John's and Texas also exceeded $10 million in NIL spending. It sounds like the rising price of high-profile recruits is something all schools will have to get used to.
"The spending among the elite class of college basketball is not expected to slow down," Nakos stated. "As one source told On3, the 'golden price point is $12 to $15 million' for next year's rosters."
