NIL has transformed the world of college athletics forever.
The Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball program will attempt to be active in the transfer market, but attracting elite athletes to Madison will not be easy.
According to a new research by On3’s Pete Nakos, several clubs are preparing to spend $10 million or more in the transfer market. Rival Joe Tipton joined in, stating that a Big Ten coach told him today: If you don’t have at least $12 million in NIL, you’re in trouble.
For reference, it was reported in mid-2025 that three Big Ten schools were among the top five spenders in the country. Those included Michigan ($8. 8 million), Maryland ($7. 1 million), and Iowa ($6. 6 million). While these figures were only estimates, Kentucky was in the hot seat this year after an early tournament departure that was said to cost the school $22 million in squad expenditures.
According to reports, Kansas’ Flory Bidunga has a requesting price of $5 million for the 2026 transfer portal. This is simply money that Wisconsin does not have to spend on its men’s basketball program, and these players are pricing out schools left and right. Longtime head coach Greg Gard will undoubtedly have his job cut out for him if the total Tipton heard is accurate.
In all, four Wisconsin seniors are scheduled to graduate. Those athletes are star point guard Nick Boyd, guard Braeden Carrington, and forward Andrew Rohde.
Gard has to worry about his departing seniors, but he also needs to find replacements for prospective bench players Jack Robinson and Riccardo Greppi, who have already entered the transfer site.
The Badgers are hoping that John Blackwell decides to return for his senior season, and it would undoubtedly provide the club with a significant boost. He’s trying to sign two players in the transfer portal, but if Wisconsin doesn’t have the necessary NIL resources, the program might be in serious trouble.
