Inside The Panthers

Syracuse HC Jim Boeheim Claims Pitt Bought Current Team

Jim Boeheim accused the Pitt Panthers of using NIL to recruit its current team.

Stephen Thompson

Syracuse HC Jim Boeheim Claims Pitt Bought Current Team
Syracuse HC Jim Boeheim Claims Pitt Bought Current Team /
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PITTSBURGH -- Even on an off weekend, the Pitt Panthers are making news with the help of Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim. In an interview with ESPN's Pete Thamel about rumors of his retirement, Boeheim said he has no plans to retire but doesn't like the state of college sports right now. 

He claimed Pitt had "bought" their most recent team - one that sits near the top of the ACC standings and is in position to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016. He said Miami and Wake Forest also offered lucrative NIL deals to players as a recruiting inducement as well. 

"This is an awful place we're in in college basketball," Boeheim said. "Pittsburgh bought a team. OK, fine. My [big donor] talks about it, but he doesn't give anyone any money. Nothing. Not one guy. Our guys make like $20,000. Wake Forest bought a team. Miami bought a team. ... It's like, 'Really, this is where we are?' That's really where we are, and it's only going to get worse."

Boeheim said NIL and the transfer portal were the driving forces behind coaches like Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and Villanova's Jay Wright stepping away from the sport.  

Wake Forest head coach Steve Forbes immediately responded to that allegation, saying it was unequivocally false. Neither Pitt head coach Jeff Capel nor the program has responded to the comments. 

"I don't have one player on my team that got NIL money to come here," Forbes said.

Boeheim later walked back his statements about Pitt and Wake Forest, but maintained that Miami had been using NIL to recruit players. He said he "misspoke"

Syracuse travels to Pittsburgh for their second matchup with the Panthers in less than three weeks. 

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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