Former NBA Star Believes Every College is Dealing with Same Drama in NIL Era

Memphis Tigers head coach Penny Hardaway knows that the problems team's face with NIL is a problem across the country.

Stu Boyd II-The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The new world of college sports, because of NIL, has given teams plenty of new problems to navigate.

Some of these problems are starting to take shape for head coach Penny Hardaway as he prepares his Memphis Tigers men’s basketball team for the season opener on Monday against the Missouri Tigers.

The team has dealt with plenty of public drama of certain players not being satisfied with their NIL deals within the program. However, Hardaway knows that his squad isn’t the only one having to handle these new issues in college athletics. 

On Thursday, in a press conference to prepare for the first game of the year, Hardaway sarcastically mentioned how Memphis is getting a lot of publicity over its NIL ‘dirty laundry.’

“It seems like we’re the only ones that are having problems around the country. That’s all I read.” 

But, of course, he knew that wasn’t the case. 

“Every team is definitely having those problems,” added Hardaway. “For me, it’s always going to be in the forefront. We know what we’re dealing with. When a young man comes in and does an NIL contract or whatever and then something goes astray or whatever happens, then it affects the whole entire thing. Everyone knows that.

Memphis has dealt with players preparing to leave the program because they are not satisfied with their opportunities off the basketball court. Tyreek Smith was reportedly close to leaving the program because he was not happy with his NIL deals with Memphis. 

It hasn’t just been Smith, however. New reports have stated that Dain Dainja has also considered leaving the program to find more beneficial deals for his personal brand. 

Hardaway, a former NBA star himself, knows all too well what it means to get your name out in public, but the new landscape of name, image, and likeness is a whole new issue he never had to deal with personally. 

As he enters his seventh year as head coach of the Memphis Tigers, he has yet to reach the expectations since arriving at his alma mater. The team has only made the NCAA tournament in two of the six seasons under Hardaway and missed the cut in 2023 after reaching the 10th in the AP Top 25 poll at one point in the season. 

The Tigers are projected to finish second in the American Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll and did receive some votes to win the conference.