Dick Vitale rips Kentucky basketball’s $22 million roster after loss
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The Kentucky Wildcats basketball team may still make the NCAA Tournament, but Dick Vitale thinks the iconic program should be much better than its 19-12 record this season given its massive $22 million roster.
The legendary ESPN college basketball analyst didn’t hide his feelings about the Wildcats playing at Florida in Saturday’s SEC matchup. Vitale began to gain the upper hand against the Wildcats after the Gators made several free throws to increase their halftime lead to 26-19.
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Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope during the game between the Florida Gators and Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY on March 7, 2026. (Jeff Moreland/Icon Sportswire)
“I’ll just say this here, I’ve been to a few Kentucky games, win or lose, I’m going to give this team $22 million.” [which has been reported] “In terms of NIL for their players,” he said, according to Awful Announcing. “I think for $22 million, they could have built a better roster than they did. I really want to.”
The Wildcats lost by a score of 84-77, and Vitale held on for his 12th loss of the season against Kentucky near the end.
“Let me tell you one thing, you don’t want to walk out of here thinking you’ve achieved a moral victory,” Vitale said, referring to a tough game against the No. 5-ranked Florida team. “There are no moral victories at this level of basketball. And you hear some people say, ‘We played them close. We played them hard.’
“The bottom line is, you’re Kentucky. You’re Kentucky. And you’ve got to leave here with a win, especially at home. There’s no such thing as moral victories. Come on. I don’t want to hear that.”
Collin Chandler and Jasper Johnson of the Kentucky Wildcats celebrate at halftime against the Ole Miss Rebels at Rupp Arena on January 24, 2026 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
The Wildcats were once the top program in the country under former Coach John Calipari. Calipari went to Arkansas after failing to make an extended March Madness run in recent seasons; including a shocking first-round loss to the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
The Wildcats have since been coached by Mark Pope and made the Sweet 16 of last year’s tournament before losing to Tennessee.
Kentucky’s Jasper Johnson competes against Michigan State at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY on November 18, 2025. (Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated)
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But this year, Kentucky is 10-8 in SEC play and a 9th seed heading into this week’s tournament. The winner of each conference qualifies for a tournament berth, but the Wildcats know that a good seeding in the NCAA Tournament requires a strong run heading into next weekend’s Selection Sunday.
The Wildcats begin their SEC Tournament play on Wednesday against No. 16 LSU.
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