According to a recent report from CBS Sports, the UConn Huskies men's basketball team is spending nearly $20 million on its roster for the 2026-27 season.

That puts them in what CBS is calling "Tier 2," on par with traditional powers like Kansas and Indiana, as well as John Calipari's Arkansas Razorbacks roster.

"Tier 1" comprises of a bigger contingent of schools, including Texas Tech, Kentucky, Illinois, North Carolina, Florida, Texas, Duke, Louisville, Tennessee, Michigan and St. John's, UConn's biggest rival in the Big East.

CBS does note that the increasing number of fifth-year players coming back to school has increased the budget at several schools. UConn does not have any fifth-year senior players that returned to school to inflate the budget.

No, there is no record of which UConn players are making the most money and how much they are making. That said, it's fair to assume that sophomore star Braylon Mullins is making a good bit, as well as senior standout Silas Demary Jr. It also probably took some good NIL money get to Na'jai Hines (Seton Hall) and Nik Khamenia (Duke) to transfer in, and talented freshman like Colben Landrew and Junior County also probably account for a good amount of that money.

In my mind? Yes. "Name, Image and Likeness" was developed so that players weren't taken advantage of by NCAA licensing deals, and so that players could make appearances, shoot commercials, get paid spots on radio stations, etc. 

What we have now is essentially a straight salary system. And while the ability to pay players has helped more teams get into the championship mix, it has also taken away some of the traditional appeal of the college game.

You should always be worried about the spending power of your rivals, so it definitely matters. That said, Donnie Freeman, who is a transfer from Syracuse, is expected to miss the entire season after tearing his ACL this summer. He likely commanded a good bit of money in the portal this past offseason.

It's always preferable to be at the top of a list like this, but UConn has three national title appearances in four years and a head coach with a proven track record of getting guys to the NBA. So, all in all? Things are pretty good in Storrs.

After a 78-70 win over Michigan State on Tuesday, the Huskies will have one more exhibition contest next Tuesday night against Purdue at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford.

The hope is that Mullins will be able to play after missing each of the first two contests. Tip-off time is 7 p.m. ET.