The NCAA looks a lot different in 2025, and no one knows that better than Kentucky head coach Mark Pope, who’s navigating the sport’s first full season under the NCAA’s House Settlement.
The new model, which went into effect July 1, allows schools to directly share revenue with athletes, which is up to $20.5 million annually, with that cap set to rise to $32 million over the next decade. The settlement also eliminates scholarship limits in favor of roster caps across Division I sports.
During Monday’s
Kentucky basketball media day, Pope admitted that the changes have created a different way to recruit once again, but he loves his team currently.
“It’s really complicated,” Pope said. “For the fourth straight year, we’re in here saying everything has changed. And so again, for this coming cycle, we’re working under a totally, like, first-time-ever set of rules and standards. And working off a cap is just something that’s so new, right?
“So we’re modeling every single day, and it’s complicated. There are all kinds of dynamics about how to do that.”
While the college landscape remains murky, Pope is excited and optimistic about UK’s place in it.
“I do know that for us right now, we’re so excited about this team that we have right now, that our No. 1 focus is there, and then all this stuff about next year and how that works, we’re going to deal with that when next year comes.
“But right now, we feel like we’ve got a beautiful Ferrari, and we can’t wait to take it for a spin.”
Kentucky Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart said roughly $2.5 million of the school’s annual $20.5 million pool will go toward funding scholarships across all UK sports. The remaining money will be distributed among football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, and volleyball.
While this year’s basketball roster won’t feel the immediate impact of revenue sharing, Pope and his staff know that next season could look very different as new financial and recruiting realities take hold.
