Check Out How Much UK Spends On Recruiting

If you think you had any idea what recruiting costs, guess again...at least at Kentucky anyway.

John Calipari and staff spent $1.46 million on recruiting between 2016-2019, including a private flight to Spartanburg to recruit Zion Williamson that cost $8,345.90 dollars round trip.

Just for comparison, American makes the same flight nonstop for $318.

We can understand why coaches would like to fly private. You cut down on wasted time, you get in and out and you make a big impression. Plus you get to skip a lot of the security rigamarole. And we’re not saying Duke doesn’t fly private; we’re sure they do (and as a private school, Duke doesn’t have to reveal expenses.

But holy moly that’s a lot of money for private flights - $41,609 per month. UK Basketball is king of Kentucky so we don’t expect the legislature to raise a stink about this. That much money would pay for a lot of scholarships though, including some from the ravaged parts of coal country, where poverty and opioids have cut a wide swath.

Just sayin’.