BYU basketball is in a slump. A prolonged, agonizing, heart-wrenching slump. Given the promise with which this team entered the 2025-2026 season, it's not hard to feel short-changed. Four straight losses and five losses in the last six games aren't just a symptom of a challenging schedule; it's a sign that there are critical, foundational cracks in the structure of BYU basketball.
And considering the investment made in this team, it's becoming clear that money can't buy a championship, even with incredible talent at a program's disposal.
In head coach Kevin Young's second season with the program, BYU basketball is beginning to crumble. But the idea that BYU spent an absurd sum on their roster begins to lose its legs when compared to the competition roaming the Big 12 Conference.
While no numbers have been confirmed, BYU analyst Spencer Linton took to social media to squash any allegations that the Cougars have the deepest pockets in hoops.
BYU doesn’t have the highest paid MBB roster in the conference. It’s undisclosed to the public… but I know for a fact it’s not the highest.
— Spencer Linton (@Spencer_Linton) February 9, 2026
And this makes sense when considering the names that populate the Big 12, with blue bloods and historic winners like Kansas and Arizona roaming the grounds, alongside Houston, Iowa State, and Texas Tech throwing haymakers, it's not hard to imagine that the ever-changing world of NIL
AJ Dybantsa certainly drew a hefty fee, and a big three of Saunders, Wright, and the number one recruit from last year's high school class will have Cosmo's bank account feeling uncomfortably light. But depth is killing this team's soul from within. Having lost two bench scorers with injury shouldn't have Kevin Young's immensely talented team dissolving like a papier-mache tiger, but the loss of Baker and Pickens is gutting the Cougs.
BYU basketball isn't spending their way ahead of their opposition, they're paying to keep up. Any basketball team will have to face growing pains
No, money can't buy everything, but BYU's recent failures shouldn't draw monetary mockery, because this sunk cost is not what the general public would have you believe.