Duke Reportedly Has $10 Million Plan After Final Four Loss

Cooper Flagg and the Duke Blue Devils seemed well on their way to advancing to the NCAA Tournament Championship before disaster struck on Saturday.

After leading by as many as 14 points against the Houston Cougars in the Final Four, Duke went on to lose 70-67 in heartbreaking fashion. Duke was as hot as they come throughout the chunk of action, yet they made just one shot in the final 10.5 minutes of action. On top of that, Flagg had a prime opportunity to hit a game-winner but left it short.

While the loss stings, head coach Jon Scheyer now must turn his attention to replacing what many expect to be at least four of Duke's starting five, and some key players off of the bench. Although they already have the No. 1 2025 recruiting class, Scheyer and Duke will still need to bring in some portal talent. 

A task that according to a report by On3's Pete Nakos, they are willing to spend top-dollar for.

"But Duke will have to add depth and talent in the portal," wrote Nakos. "And that comes with a pool of cash necessary to win in college basketball’s free agency. A range of sources have said the Blue Devils have roughly $8 to $10 million available for the 2025-26 roster. Those dollar figures put Duke as one of the most well-funded programs in college basketball."