Kansas basketball is sitting right on the edge of college hoops’ top spending tier.
CBS Sports writers Matt Norlander and Isaac Trotter recently laid out an NIL roster spending report for 2026, and the numbers show just how expensive the sport has become. Across 79 Power Five programs and Gonzaga, the average cost to build a roster checked in at $13.5 million.
The Big 12 landed just below that mark at $12.7 million, which placed the league fourth in the conference spending race behind the SEC ($17.3M), the Big East ($13.6M), and the Big Ten ($12.7M).
CBS split roster spending into seven tiers, and Tier 1 is reserved for programs shelling out $20 million or more. That group includes Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina, Texas, Louisville, Tennessee, Texas Tech, St. John’s, Michigan, and Florida.
Kansas is listed in Tier 2, alongside Arkansas, Indiana, and UConn, as a program spending just under $20 million. But the report says the Jayhawks could climb into the top tier if Trey Kaufman-Renn, Tre White, and Melvin Council Jr. are eligible for the full season.
“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 kind of spending matches the way this Kansas roster is built. The Jayhawks don’t appear to be loaded with a bunch of future NBA headliners outside of Stokes, and the transfers they added were not ranked inside the top 50 in 247Sports’ 2026 transfer player rankings.
What Kansas does have is depth, and plenty of it. That comes at a price, and the Jayhawks are paying it in hopes of winning big.
In Other News...
Louisville Just Exposed A Kansas Concern Fans Cant Ignore
Kansas got a useful early look at itself in an 89-83 exhibition loss at home to No. 11 Louisville, and the result came with the kind of warning signs that can get buried in preseason optimism. The Jayhawks led at halftime, then watched the game tilt after the break as Louisville played with more force and confidence, while Tre White put together a game-high 25 points to help swing the night.
For a fan base already watching how the roster pieces fit, the second half raised questions about the edge and consistency Kansas can expect from this group. There were also some notable moments tied to former player Flory Bidunga, along with uneven showings from Keanu Dawes and Tyran Stokes, leaving the Jayhawks with plenty to sort through before the games start counting for real. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Fans Have Seen This Freshman Guard Scare Before
Kansas preseason loss to No. 11 Louisville came with a brief scare for the Jayhawks, as freshman guard Taylen Kinney had to leave the game early after dealing with cramps. Head coach Bill Self said Kinney received IV fluids, and the early read from the staff was encouraging enough that the situation did not sound like a major concern.
Kinney is expected to keep playing, which is the part Kansas fans will care about most after watching one of the teams newcomers head to the sideline. Leroy Blyden Jr. is set to start the next game, giving the Jayhawks a chance to keep sorting out their backcourt rotation while they move on from an exhibition loss that still offered a few uneasy moments. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas May Finally Have The Shooting Fix Fans Have Wanted
Kansas spent much of last season searching for more reliable spacing, and this roster looks built to address that problem. Between a reloaded group of newcomers, a few proven transfer shooters and a freshman with a reputation for knocking down shots from the outside, the Jayhawks suddenly have the kind of depth on the perimeter that can change how defenses play them. Coaches and players have pointed to scrimmages and practices as early signs that this group can stretch the floor better and make life easier for everyone else on the court.
What makes the outlook more interesting is that the shooting boost does not seem tied to just one specialist. Kansas has more playmaking and more versatility around the floor, which should create cleaner looks and keep teams from loading up inside. The bigger question now is how quickly all of those pieces settle in once the games start counting, because the promise is there even if the real answer will only show up over time. [Read more 🡒]