Overview
- Lendeborg told the Associated Press that Kentucky’s recruitment “started the number with $7 to $9 million,” claiming he took roughly one-third of that to join Michigan.
- Asked directly if such an offer was made, Pope declined to confirm or deny and said he would not provide a headline, calling the coverage a distraction and a “circus.”
- Pope argued that media accuracy has suffered and urged reporters to “dig in,” while offering no documentation or alternate figures to rebut Lendeborg’s account.
- Reports from the Lexington Herald-Leader, cited by multiple outlets, have pegged Kentucky’s 2025–26 roster spend around $22 million, a figure Pope also questioned.
- Lendeborg, the No. 1 transfer in 2025 and the 2026 Big Ten Player of the Year, has Michigan as a No. 1 seed, while Kentucky enters the NCAA Tournament as a No. 7 seed facing Santa Clara.