Indiana topped the 12 publicly reported men’s basketball budgets at $32.04 million, but finished outside the top 25 in both 2025 and 2026. Six of the 12 teams were unranked in 2025 and three in 2026; private universities were excluded.
Besides Indiana, the unranked teams in 2025 were Texas, Arkansas, Michigan State, Louisville and Kansas. In 2026, Kentucky and Auburn were also outside the top 25.
The author cites Houston’s 2025 Final Four and championship-game appearance as a reminder that spending is not the only factor. The author’s suggestion that NIL funds may help explain results is explicitly described as an unsubstantiated hunch.
