"Close to $200M": Mark Pope drops playful estimate of Kentucky’s NIL funds for 2025–26 season

Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats added six new players to their roster this offseason, four of whom were four-star recruits and one five-star recruit. As a result, there has been a lot of speculation surrounding the team's NIL valuation.

One number being tossed around is $20 million. Although not fully substantiated, if true, the Wildcats would be among the most well-funded programs in the nation.

Pope spoke with the media on Tuesday to discuss his team's offseason, schedule and roster construction. At one point during the press conference, Pope was asked about the team's NIL valuation, to which he jokingly responded.

"It's close to $200 million," Pope said with a smile (Timestamp: 23:04). "We would like to win at everything, guys. This is the flagship program in the country, and so I'm fully on board with all of it.

"We want to play the hardest schedule. We want to play the best teams. We want to win the most games. We want to have the best players. We want to have the highest NIL. We want to have the coolest uniforms. We want to have the most media attention."

Mark Pope expressed gratitude for the support of University President Eli Capilouto, athletic director Mitch Barnhart and the Kentucky fanbase in the interview.

The upcoming season will be his second at the helm of the program, and he will be looking to improve upon last season's 24-12 record.

"This is the University of Kentucky. So we should be the best at everything," he added. "And I put NIL, put the transfer portal on the list. Our job is to go be the best at everything. So, we're not shying away from that. It's important to us."

Mark Pope's Kentucky earns fourth spot in 2025 transfer class rankings, per 247Sports

Kentucky ranks fourth in 247Sports' latest team ranking of the 2025 transfer portal. Mark Pope secured commitments from six transfers, including five-star Arizona State center Jayden Quaintance and four-star Florida guard Denzel Aberdeen.

After several of Kentucky’s players from the past season departed due to graduation or transferring to other schools, Pope had to act quickly to assemble a roster that would allow them to remain competitive in the SEC.

"I’m actually scouring the planet right now for guys that would fit in," he told Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports in April.

And that is just what he did, plucking players from the transfer portal who will be able to make an impact from day one in Lexington.