While Mitch Barnhart hasn’t revealed how Kentucky plans to distribute its $20.5 million in revenue-sharing funds for the 2025–26 athletic year, emerging reports suggest that a large portion is being earmarked for men’s basketball—potentially far more than other SEC schools are budgeting.
According to Matt Norlander, who spoke with numerous coaches during last week’s Peach Jam event, revenue-sharing is significantly impacting recruiting strategies across college athletics. His report highlights how schools are adapting, with Kentucky standing out as a major point of discussion.
Insiders claim the Wildcats may be channeling 45% of their total revenue-sharing allotment—about $9.225 million—into their men’s basketball program. That figure dwarfs the roughly $3 million most SEC schools are planning to allocate toward their basketball teams.
Sources across the SEC confirm that the majority of programs are staying well under the $3 million mark for men’s basketball revenue-sharing in 2025–26. However, Kentucky, a school with a rich basketball tradition, appears to be taking a different route, devoting nearly half of its pool to hoops.
There had been talks about establishing a standardized revenue-sharing limit across all SEC institutions, but similar to what’s happening in the Big East, individual schools seem to be pursuing their own paths. Kentucky, it appears, is choosing to emphasize basketball—potentially at the expense of football—unlike other major programs like Alabama, Auburn, or Tennessee. That’s a decision well within Kentucky’s control.
