The Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball program has been through the wringer for the last three months.

From one of the most electric teams in the country to losing in the first to then seeing their long-time head coach head elsewhere, there were a lot of unknowns for the program moving forward. However, that is starting to change with more structure having been added.

Mitch Barnhart and company were able to attract former UK standout Mark Pope, who has already brought in a slew of high-profile transfers.

A big part of this is the team’s NIL initiative has been blowing up, highlighted by $650,000 in annual commitments from the general fanbase to Club Blue, according to KSR’s Matt Jones.

Private donors and public support are going to help keep Kentucky relevant in what’s become a college athletics landscape more similar to the professional ranks when it comes to paying players.

Pope, who was at BYU last year, should have all the help he can get, and with this type of funding, they could continue to bring in high-profile recruits.

Hopefully, this kind of support continues throughout the Mark Pope era in Lexington.