College Coaches Reveal the Truth About NIL in College Basketball

College coaches spoke about how tough the NIL world is in recruiting players in college basketball.

Feb 10, 2024; Coral Gables, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes guard Nijel Pack (24) reacts after scoring against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the first half at Watsco Center. / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

NIL has changed the game in many ways over the past few years. When NIL was first announced, it's tough to say that anyone ever thought it'd become what it has.

On one hand, it's awesome to see college athletes getting paid for the hard work they put in. Colleges were benefiting from their student-athletes for too long, and something had to change.

However, when kids are signing $2 million collective deals, it's hard to say that this is the right thing. With the NIL world, it's all about how much a school can offer an athlete now.

If programs don't have a certain amount of money to offer a player, the chances of landing them are lower than ever. Players don't seem to care much about coaching, program traditions, and other factors that used to be in play when picking a school.

The Athletic spoke with college basketball coaches about the truth behind the NIL world, and it sounds even worse than it may seem.

One coach was asked about Nijel Pack, who played at the University of Miami. Pack landed a two-year deal worth $800,000, which was one of the first big deals in the NIL space at the time.

What once seemed like a ridiculous price to pay for a college athlete now is the reality, according to one coach, who said that $800,000 would be the "median income" for a fourth or fifth option on a Power 5 team.

“That deal would probably be a median income of a fourth or fifth option on a Power 5,” one high-major coach said.

Again, right or wrong, this isn't what the NCAA, coaches, or fans had in mind when it was announced that NIL was legal.

There are many reasons why it's turned into what it has, but the lack of rules around it is the biggest problem. While rules don't neccessarily guarantee anything to change, it's essentially a free for all.

If a school comes up with $1 million, they're going to hand it out. If the other school recruiting the same kid finds $1.5 million to give out, they'll be offering it to them.

“I’m not sure there are any rules,” another coach said. “That’s the thing that I think at some point there’s got to be a handle on. I have no idea what the rules are.”

Things don't seem like they're going to change anytime soon, which should only lead to more money being handed out.

It's a different world, and one that could change the college world that everyone loves and knows. Competing at the highest level will only get tougher as money is now the deciding factor in everything.