Tennessee basketball’s exact NIL money revealed after claiming No. 1 portal class in the country originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Tennessee Volunteers men’s basketball program is tired of falling just one game short of its first Final Four appearance. This transfer portal cycle, Tennessee made it a priority to pursue some of the top players in the country.
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Building an elite roster in today’s college basketball landscape is not easy, especially with the growing importance of NIL funding. Tennessee was reportedly prepared to significantly increase its spending.
“Tennessee basketball is on track to be among the elite in NIL spending next season. On3’s Pete Nakos on Thursday reported the Vols are one of a handful of teams set to spend $10 million or more in NIL for its roster next season,” VolQuest’s Grant Ramey wrote.
With that financial backing, head coach Rick Barnes and his staff assembled the nation’s top transfer portal class, according to USA Today.
“Tennessee basketball keeps adding to its star-studded transfer portal haul, adding Wake Forest guard Juke Harris on Monday, May 4. Harris, the No. 2-ranked overall player in the transfer portal in USA TODAY’s rankings, averaged 21.4 points with 6.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game last season on 44.4% shooting. He chose the Vols over Michigan, which he visited, and North Carolina, among others. Harris’ commitment lifts Tennessee’s portal haul to No. 1 in USA TODAY Sports’ class rankings,” USA Today’s Austin Curtright wrote.
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It was later revealed just how much Tennessee invested into its portal class this spring. Barnes reportedly had between $18 million and $20 million available to build next season’s roster.
“The all-in price for one of the biggest portal classes this cycle is over $18 million,” wrote Nakos. “Tennessee could eventually cross the $20 million threshold, depending on the final pieces the program adds.”
Tennessee clearly was not hesitant about giving Barnes the NIL resources needed to construct a legitimate championship contender. Defense has consistently been the foundation of the program under Barnes, but this upcoming roster appears capable of bringing significantly more offensive firepower.
Barnes has already established himself as one of college basketball’s best recruiters because of his unique ability to build strong relationships with players. Combine that with elite NIL support, and this level of roster building could become the new standard for Tennessee basketball.
