NORMAN - Oklahoma’s jump to a full SEC revenue share is about to hit the athletic department in a big way, and men’s basketball stands to feel it.
After bringing in just $12.5 million in conference distributions last year, the Sooners are set to receive a full SEC share in the 2026 fiscal year. That change should add more than $60 million to the department’s bottom line, a significant boost after Oklahoma operated at a deficit of nearly $44 million last season, a shortfall tied largely to those limited conference payouts.
The SEC handed out $1.03 billion to its members last season, more than $200 million above the 2024 fiscal year. Schools with a full share averaged $72.4 million, and that figure is expected to keep climbing in the years ahead.
For Porter Moser’s program, the timing matters. Oklahoma came painfully close to the NCAA Tournament last season, only to miss out after a nine-game SEC losing streak. Now the question is how much the new money can help the Sooners build a roster that can turn close calls into results.
In basketball, every dollar matters a little more than it does in football. With 15 or fewer roster spots and even fewer players in the regular rotation, the ability to spend on talent can shape the whole operation. Oklahoma was reportedly near the bottom of the SEC in NIL spending last season, ahead of only South Carolina.
Even with those limitations, the Sooners pieced together a productive transfer group. Xzayvier Brown from Saint Joseph’s, Derrion Reid from Alabama, Nijel Pack from Miami and Tae Davis from Notre Dame became Oklahoma’s top four scorers. All but Reid finished among the top three in assists, and all but Pack were in the top four in rebounds.
Oklahoma is hoping this offseason’s portal class can bring similar production with more consistency as a team. The Sooners added Tyler Hendricks from UCF and Utah Valley; veteran guard Pop Isaacs from Texas Tech, Creighton and Texas A&M; Khani Rooths from Louisville; G-Leaguer Akoldah Gak; and center Yaak Yaak, who has played for New Mexico State, Colorado Mesa, and Oregon State.
There was some turnover, too. Kuol Atak and Jeff Nwankwo, each of whom averaged more than 11 minutes per game, entered the portal. But Oklahoma also did well to keep key pieces in place, with Brown, Reid, Dayton Forsythe and Kai Rogers among the players who chose to return.
The extra revenue won’t put the Sooners in the same spending class as programs like Kentucky, but moving closer to the middle of the SEC pack could matter a lot on the floor. Oklahoma also added its first men’s basketball general manager, Lucas McKay, this offseason, another sign the program is trying to level up with the help of the coming financial windfall.
The money won’t be the only factor around the program’s future, but it should help. The deficit was not the main obstacle to getting the new arena at the center of the Rock Creek Entertainment District started, though it certainly won’t slow things down. Groundbreaking for the arena came in mid-May, with formal construction starting a week later, and the building is expected to open sometime during the 2028-29 season.
Until then, new athletic director Roger Denny has said he wants to keep making incremental facility upgrades. That means the added funds could be used for smaller improvements at Lloyd Noble Center, including changes that make the final seasons there better for fans and possible upgrades to the team facilities. The locker rooms are already fairly new, and the arena will continue to house the practice gyms and workout spaces after the move, but there is still room for updates.
And once the team shifts into the new arena, revenue from ticket sales and other streams should give Oklahoma another avenue for improving the program.
In Other News...
ESPN Just Reinforced Oklahoma's Place Among College Football's True Bluebloods
ESPNs latest jersey-number exercise ended up sounding a lot like an Oklahoma football roll call. In a ranking of the best college players ever to wear each number, the Sooners landed four times at the top, with Baker Mayfield, Caleb Williams, Tommy McDonald and Ricky Dixon each chosen as the standard-bearer for their respective jerseys. It was the kind of list that doubles as a reminder of how often Oklahoma has produced the kind of stars who still define eras.
The deeper cut was almost as telling, because Oklahoma had 12 more former players turn up as first runners-up. Names like Kyler Murray, Adrian Peterson and Lee Roy Selmon only sharpen the point: this is a program with enough history, and enough elite talent, to crowd the conversation at nearly every number. ESPNs breakdown did not just flatter the Sooners, it reinforced the idea that their place in the sports blueblood class still rests on a long line of players who left a mark that is hard to top. [Read more 🡒]
Sooners Suddenly Have Real Buzz In Massive Defensive Line Battle
Kellan Hall is already looking like one of the marquee defensive line names in the 2028 class, and Oklahoma has put itself squarely in the mix early. The Christian Academy of Louisville standout has picked up more than 25 offers and has drawn attention from a national group that includes Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Georgia, Ohio State, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Miami and Kentucky, a sign that his recruitment is going to be anything but quiet.
For the Sooners, the appeal is obvious. Hall has been in Norman multiple times, and those visits have helped keep Oklahoma in a strong position as the race develops. He is expected to trim his list with a top 10 in August before laying out his next round of visit dates, which should give the Sooners a better sense of where they stand in a battle that is only just starting to heat up. [Read more 🡒]
Sooners Fans Have Every Reason To Watch Keldrid Ben Right Now
Keldrid Ben has been one of Oklahomas more important recruiting wins since he committed in December, and now the four-star prospect is back in the spotlight for a different reason. With Florida and Oregon still lingering in the picture, the Sooners have had to keep an eye on a recruitment that has stayed active even after his pledge, which is why his next move is drawing so much attention.
Ben is set to make a new announcement about his recruitment, and the setting points to something more celebratory than dramatic. The expectation is that the moment will play out with his local community in Montgomery, Texas, giving Oklahoma fans another reason to watch closely as one of their top commitments steps back into the public eye. [Read more 🡒]