How Much Did Kentucky's Weeklong Big Blue Bahamas Tour Cost?

Last August the Kentucky basketball team enjoyed a weeklong residency in Nassau for the Big Blue Bahamas Tour where they played multiple games against the national teams of the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, and the French pro club, Champagne Chalons-Reims Basket. But according to the Louisville Courier-Journal, they picked up the tab and it was pretty expensive...

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"But the trip—and the competition—came at a steep cost. Expense reports acquired through a Courier-Journal open-records request show that in addition to its own travel, UK paid for the flights, meals and lodging for all three teams it faced. It is believed to be the first time a college basketball program has ever gone to such lengths for an exhibition series.

UK's own team expenses were eye-opening, too, from coach John Calipari's $1,550-per night Atlantis hotel suite to a $23,855.50 reception dinner that included a band and an open bar.

The total cost of the trip was $792,845.68. By comparison, an expense report acquired in an open records request showed that North Carolina's Bahamas trip last summer cost $154,825.91. Portland State, meanwhile, paid a total of $37,714 for its seven-night stay."

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