Coaches Reveal Top NIL Programs in College Basketball

Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky and BYU lead the way as coaches discuss the top NIL powerhouses reshaping college hoops.

UK Head Basketball Coach John Calipari addressed the Senate Standing Committee on Education as they heard special testimony on Senate Bill 6, the Name Image Likeness Bill, sponsored by Senator Max Wise (R-Campbellsville) at the Capitol Annex in Frankfort, Ky. on Feb. 9, 2022. / Sam Upshaw Jr. / Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

CBS Sports' Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander recently conducted their annual Candid Coaches series, spending a month surveying over 100 Division I men’s basketball coaches. The goal? To gauge which programs are making the biggest waves with their Name Image Likeness (NIL) situations based on what coaches hear and encounter on the recruiting trail.

The results were telling. Coaches, ranging from the biggest names in college basketball to assistants in low-major leagues, provided their insights under the condition of anonymity. The question posed was simple yet revealing: "Which three programs do you believe have the best NIL situations?" The results reflect the current climate of college basketball, where speculation and assumption often fill the gaps left by the opaque nature of NIL deals.

Arkansas topped the list, appearing on 73.7% of ballots. This wasn’t particularly shocking considering the Razorbacks’ recent hire of Hall of Fame coach John Calipari from Kentucky. "You know, Cal," one coach remarked. "He's not going anywhere unless he has everything in place." The implication is clear: Arkansas’ NIL resources significantly lured Calipari away from his 15-year tenure at Kentucky, where his success had recently plateaued. Although the specifics of Arkansas’ NIL backing remain murky, the consensus among coaches is that the Razorbacks are major players in the NIL game.

The poll results also highlighted other programs like Kansas, BYU, and Indiana as having strong NIL packages, all of which are either blue bloods or schools with new coaches eager to make a mark. Despite losing Calipari to Arkansas, Kentucky still made the list, reinforcing its reputation as a powerhouse with deep resources. "They're handing out f******* money like it's Monopoly," another coach candidly noted about Louisville, a program that, under new leadership, is desperately trying to climb back to national relevance.

Programs like Arkansas, Kansas, and BYU are now seen as leading the charge. However, as one coach pointed out, the answer to which schools have the best NIL situations could look very different a year from now. College basketball is better when traditional powerhouses like Louisville and Kentucky are competitive, and in today’s game, that means leveraging NIL to its fullest potential.