Big time athletics bring in a lot of money, but the price tag for running a program can skyrocket as well. UK arranged an eight-night August trip to the Bahamas that included multiple games against the national teams of the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, and the French pro club, Champagne Chalons-Reims Basket.
Rather than play at lower level gyms, Kentucky play more prestigious teams at the posh Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island were shown live on ESPN’s SEC Network.
The report from the Courier-Journal details a hefty price tag that might shock a few people.
But the trip—and the competition—came at a steep cost. Expense reports acquired through a Courier-Journal open-records request show that in addition to its own travel, UK paid for the flights, meals and lodging for all three teams it faced. It is believed to be the first time a college basketball program has ever gone to such lengths for an exhibition series.
UK’s own team expenses were eye-opening, too, from coach John Calipari’s $1,550-per night Atlantis hotel suite to a $23,855.50 reception dinner that included a band and an open bar.
The total cost of the trip was $792,845.68. By comparison, an expense report acquired in an open records request showed that North Carolina’s Bahamas trip last summer cost $154,825.91. Portland State, meanwhile, paid a total of $37,714 for its seven-night stay.
Wildcats head coach, John Calipari, explained the large bill.
“I needed professional-level teams,” Wildcats coach John Calipari said this season. “I needed men. I needed experienced, physical guys that knew how to play. That’s what this team needed, which is different. That’s why most teams don’t do what we’ve just done.”
UK offset some costs by providing flights, lodging and tickets for 57 UK boosters who donated $6,000 apiece, contributing a total of $347,047.30. UK also received $17,962.28 in ticket revenue. Even with those adjustments, the final expenses were $431,836.10, nearly three times more than North Carolina’s entire trip.