Boeheim Adjusts to the Changing Landscape
Legendary college basketball coach Jim Boeheim, who spent the majority of his career in a time when college athletes couldn’t profit from their sports, has shared his thoughts on the evolving world of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights. While he may not be a fan of the current state of affairs, Boeheim acknowledges the need to adapt quickly:
“I don’t like it at all, No. 1, but No. 2, this is what the world is, and you better adjust to it really quickly. Get in the portal, get some players there, because you’re gonna lose some. And when you lose some, you’re gonna need to get some. It’s pretty simple.”
College Basketball vs. College Football
While concerns have been raised about NIL potentially affecting the integrity of college athletics, particularly in football, Boeheim believes that basketball may be different:
“Part of the reason college basketball is pretty well-balanced is because of the transfer portal. Everybody gets good players someplace. They all aren’t gonna go to the top schools… So, you can be in the middle or bottom of a league and still get good players. That’s good for the balance of college basketball.”
The Future of NIL
Boeheim doesn’t foresee significant changes to the current system unless the government steps in to regulate it:
“It’s gonna continue, and the best players are gonna get the most money, which, I guess you can say, ‘OK, good for them. That’s nice.’ The other players will get some money. I think every program is different… It’s where we are. I don’t see it changing. I don’t see any rules that can be made to change that. This is the starting point of the conversation, maybe, but I don’t know where that conversation goes.”
As the landscape of college athletics continues to evolve, Jim Boeheim’s insights shed light on the challenges and opportunities presented by the Name, Image, and Likeness era.