Will Stein is recruiting players that most people didn't believe would be interested in Kentucky, especially not in the first year of a new era. Stein understands to do that, you need money... and that wasn't always readily available while Mark Stoops was the head coach. "Pony up," I'm sure you recall.
"I control what I can, and I know what we have is enough currently, but everybody’s pushing," Stein said, during a radio interview this week. "The $35 million rosters used to be the highest. Now it’s like $50. And it’s not stopping. So, everybody thinks it’s going to end, and all this stuff."
That number will only grow as NIL continues to get more and more unregulated. But where does it come from in the first place?
A Necessary Evil
When Mitch Barnhart announced that Kentucky would be building an entertainment district around Kroger Field, fans were rightfully upset. It means less parking, less tailgating, and more shopping. However, those kinds of funds flowing into the program year-round is exactly why this was done.
Right now, unless there's a major offseason event, Kroger Field sits empty most of the time. But with an entertainment district such as this one, money will be moving constantly, and the program will be able to cash in on that. On the professional level, Battery Park generated $97 million for the Atlanta Braves in 2025 alone.
It may never reach that level for Kentucky, but you get the picture. The potential is there.
Does it suck for the fan experience? Yeah, if it's coming down to less tailgating vs. better players, BBN won't have to wait long to make that decision. To compete, you need the funds, and Kentucky isn't necessarily booster-rich on the football front like Texas A&M or Alabama. So, Stein and company have to get creative.
Because NIL money spent will only climb until Congress or the NCAA makes a change. And as slow as both of those organizations notoriously move, it won't be anytime soon. Will Stein agrees.
Keeping Up With the Times
"If it’s going to stop, then I think everybody would be like, ‘Whoa, put a hold on it,’ but nobody is, so continue to push. And it is what it is right now."
That is where a lot of programs are right now. If you are going to compete for a championship, or really even an upper-tier bowl, you'd better have varying revenue streams. And that is what Kentucky is trying to do; Will Stein is doing everything he can to make Kentucky a contender.
"I never would have left Oregon if I didn’t feel like I could win," he said, "even though my dad played at Kentucky, my mom went to Kentucky, and I grew up a Kentucky fan. Like, that’s like a cute story, but you want to go to a place where you can win."
Stein continued, "I felt like I had the support needed from our administration that we can get this place turned... Everywhere I’ve ever been, I’ve been a part of a winning culture, from high school football through college, and now as a coach, it’s my job. I don’t really know any other way."
Coach Stein is certainly winning on the recruiting front, but he knows that to really take things over the top, it has to happen on Saturdays in the fall.
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