Kansas basketball is sitting right on the edge of college hoops’ top spending tier.
A CBS Sports report by Matt Norlander and Isaac Trotter mapped out the average NIL cost of building a roster for 2026 across 79 Power Five programs plus Gonzaga, and the number landed at $13.5 million. The Big 12, meanwhile, checked in at $12.7 million, which placed it fourth among the major conferences behind the SEC at $17.3 million, the Big East at $13.6 million and the Big Ten at $12.7 million.
CBS Sports broke roster spending into seven tiers, and Kansas landed in Tier 2 - the group just below the $20 million line. The Jayhawks were grouped there with Arkansas, Indiana and UConn.
Tier 1 is reserved for the schools spending at least $20 million, a list that includes Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina, Texas, Louisville, Tennessee, Texas Tech, St. John’s, Michigan and Florida.
That said, Kansas may not be far from moving up. The report noted that if Trey Kaufman-Renn, Tre White and Melvin Council Jr. are eligible for the full season, KU could reach Tier 1 later in the year.
CBS Sports wrote: “If Kansas is able to roster Trey Kaufman-Renn AND the Jayhawks get Tre White and Melvin Council Jr. eligible for the entire season, our information suggests KU would hit $20 million later this season, but as of this story's publication, the Jayhawks are an eyelash away and literally as close to Tier 1 as possible. (Kansas also boasts the most expensive freshman in college basketball, No. 1 prospect Tyran Stokes).”
That pricing makes sense for a Kansas roster that doesn’t appear loaded with future NBA lottery talent beyond Stokes. The team isn’t built around a parade of former five-star recruits, and none of the transfers Kansas added were ranked inside the top 50 in 247Sports’ 2026 transfer player rankings.
Even so, the roster has a chance to be one of the deepest in the country. Depth like that doesn’t come cheap, and Kansas is clearly spending with a win-now mindset.
In Other News...
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North Carolinas push has reportedly included a significant NIL package and a visit that featured a call with Michael Jordan, a reminder of the kind of pitch the Razorbacks are up against. Arkansas is not standing still, though, as the staff continues to track other key targets in Beckham Black and CJ Rosser, with Black expected to move early and Rossers recruitment still open as the class develops. [Read more 🡒]
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Muurinen is not the only Arkansas player showing up on the Hall of Fames preseason radar, either, with other Razorbacks appearing on various Naismith Starting 5 Awards watch lists at different positions. For Arkansas, that kind of across-the-board recognition says plenty about the talent level on the roster and gives the program another talking point as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Calipari Just Identified Arkansass Biggest Test Before The Real Games
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Even so, Calipari pointed to one area that will tell the real story once the games count for good: whether Arkansas can turn that size into true physical presence in the post. It is one thing to look long and athletic in October, and another to make that advantage matter against opponents that are ready to test it every possession. [Read more 🡒]