Bruce Pearl's Auburn Tigers basketball program isn't going to get anywhere near the cut of their athletic department's NIL spend that Mark Pope's Kentucky Wildcats will.
On3's Justin Hokanson revealed that only John Calipari's Arkansas Razorbacks or Rick Barnes' Tennessee Volunteers could attempt to do what's being done in Lexington.
"Auburn won’t come close to this split when it comes to football and basketball. Most in the SEC won’t. Arkansas and Tennessee might go heavier hoops than others? Football will get the vast majority. Auburn basketball deserves more than they will get in my humble opinion, but we know football will always be priority one," Hokanson wrote.
Kentucky Sports Radio's Tyler Thompson was taken aback by UK's plan for Pope and Mark Stoops' teams.
"According to (CBS Sports' Matt Norlander), Kentucky is believed to be dedicating 45% of its $20.5 million revenue-sharing budget to men's basketball for 2025-26," Thompson wrote.
"So, $9.225 million. Over three times what most SEC schools will do. If true, that's a bold move."
No wonder Pearl is considering a run for Alabama's junior US Senate seat in 2026. His legacy could be compromised by not having enough spending power to compete with the Kentucky's, Tennessee's, Arkansas's, and Florida's of the SEC, and Duke's, North Carolina's, BYU's, Indiana's, and Michigan's of the world.
Steven Pearl's youth could help him have the stamina necessary to scout underhyped gems on the recruiting trail. It's clear he's probably the next head coach of the Auburn basketball program, possibly as soon as the 2026-27 season.
AU hoops is working from behind. Football will always be the biggest investment in the state of Alabama.
But there's ways to keep up.
Steven's less polarizing political approach is probably a better recruiting tool for the program. With less NIL money to spend than the aforementioned financial powers that be, having players buy into the culture will be critical.
Steven is objectively a better fit for Auburn's circumstances than Bruce. Perhaps soon the world will see that.