Kentucky Wildcats News: New Age of UK Athletics and NIL Edition
The Athletic went behind-the-scenes of the new UK Athletics model.
Nov 8, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; The Kentucky Wildcat mascot leads the C-A-T-S cheer after a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Florida Gators at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images There’s been a lot of talk over the last year about UK Athletics when it comes to the new world of college athletics in general, meaning NIL and revenue sharing. Yesterday, The Athletic released an in-depth look at Kentucky’s new model in this new era.
In it, reporter J ustin Williams spoke to multiple people at UK about the athletic department’s new model and what it means in this ever-changing landscape. It’s worth a read in its entirety if you have the time (it is a little lengthy), but there are some interesting tidbits in there. The UK Football budget has reportedly grown significantly.
According to the article, “Multiple industry sources estimate the total roster budget for Kentucky football will be close to $25 million for the 2026 season…” It also notes that a few men’s basketball players already have “over the cap” deals in place for the 26-27 season. Eric Monday, UK’s executive vice president for finance and administration who has seen his status at the university rise significantly over the last year or two, noted that UK wants to grow its annual budget beyond $200 million toward $250 million to be closer to places like Ohio State and Texas, where the budget is north of $300 million. The article compares the UK Athletics model to what occurred with UK Healthcare.
This article does provide some insight into the new UK Athletics model, but there are still some concerns out there about the direction of athletics. However, it’s good to actually see some information come out about this. Tweet of the Day If Billy Donovan takes another blueblood gig this cycle, Kentucky fans might storm Mitch Barnhart’s office.