Duke Reportedly Among 15 MCBB Teams Expected to Spend $20M+ on Roster for 2026-27 Season
The heavy hitters in men's college basketball intend to spend their way to success during the 2026-27 season.
On3's Pete Nakos cited one staffer from an ACC school who estimates that around 15 programs could spend $20 million overall on roster building.
That group likely includes Duke, Texas, Louisville and Tennessee. In the case of the Volunteers, Nakos reported the cost of securing Wake Forest guard Juke Harris in the transfer portal was up to $4 million on its own.
Tennessee is second in 247Sports' team portal rankings. Louisville is sitting in the top spot after bringing in six transfers, a group headlined by Kansas forward Flory Bidunga and Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad. Nakos reported the pair cost $5 million and $2 million, respectively.
The total bill for the Cardinals could climb past the $20 million mark.
Indiana, North Carolina, UConn, Michigan, Arizona and Houston were listed as having NIL expenditures between $10 million and $15 million. Florida could fall into that range as well when junior forward Thomas Haugh is getting $5 million to stay with the Gators.
Of course, none of these are exact figures. Nakos cited one staffer who said the College Sports Commission's clearinghouse is getting bypassed, adding to the lack of transparency.
"Anybody who seriously cares about spending on basketball does not care about the CSC," they said. "Deals are not going through the clearinghouse. Everyone over a $5 million payroll is not submitting deals."
Schools are also incentivized to some degree to inflate how much they're committing. It's a sales pitch to any players who might be considering you in the future.
Of course, that can backfire.
Kentucky went 22-14 and lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament. That was a disappointing enough outcome on its own, and the feeling was compounded by the fact the Wildcats reportedly had a $20-plus million price tag for their roster.
Duke and particularly Louisville will be in the exact same position if they don't meet their sky-high expectations next year.
