The college basketball transfer portal opens Tuesday, the day after the championship game, but the real action has already been underway for months. Since early December, agents and programs have been negotiating deals ahead of what sources describe as a wave of commitments expected within the first 72 hours after the portal goes live.
Despite entering the first portal cycle of the revenue-sharing era, the price of top players isn't dropping. Deals for the most coveted returners are expected to range between $4 million and $6 million, and the overall arms race is accelerating fast. Every team still playing in Indianapolis this weekend has a payroll north of $8 million. Michigan's roster alone costs well over $10 million.
So what does it take to compete at the highest level next year? According to sources across the sport, the golden number is $12 to $15 million for next season's rosters.
Pete Nakos spoke with sources across college basketball to identify the programs ready to spend the most when the portal opens. Several schools are positioned to clear $10 million, including some that are expected to push toward $13 to $15 million as coaches lobby for more resources and begin aggressive portal campaigns. At least one high-major assistant told Nakos the environment is already frantic: "Schools are calling players' agents 10 days into the season because people are looking at box scores. Next week is going to be wilder and crazier than ever before."
A second tier of programs is expected to land in the $8 to $10 million range, with the flexibility to push higher if the right players become available. Click below for a look at the teams expected to be the biggest spenders.
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