Is amateurism dead in college hoops?

Hey there,

These are wild times in college athletics, with daily news items on NIL, Congressional proposals and, now, a wild twist in eligibility rules. The shifting landscape is still happening at warp speed, and I wouldn’t plan on it slowing down any time soon.

Before we get on to the rest of this newsletter — and before you close the computer for college football Saturday — I wanted to flag a fun upcoming event for all of you. On Thursday, Oct. 30, I’m hosting a free videoconference chat alongside Matt Brown, the founder and publisher of Extra Points. This will be an informal conversation where NIL Wire subscribers can ask questions, get to know me and Matt a little better and network with one another. This event is free to all NIL Wire subscribers!

I’ll share the exact link next week. In the meantime, if you know you plan (or don’t plan!) to attend, voting in this poll and letting us gauge the numbers would help a lot.

— Kyle

THE BIG 3

Is amateurism dead in college basketball?

Concerns have arisen in recent years about endless eligibility. 

A new development in college basketball doesn’t necessarily lend credence to those worries, but it raises significant questions about amateurism. 

Two former G League players — who were paid professionals — have committed to Louisville and Santa Clara in recent weeks. 

Thierry Darlan, from the Central African Republic, was granted eligibility last month, joining several other international athletes who have been cleared to play college sports. The 21-year-old was a member of the NBA Academy Africa and played the past two seasons in the G League; he’ll have two seasons of eligibility at Santa Clara.

The case of London Johnson is even more extreme. The former four-star recruit played three seasons in the G League, where he averaged 7.6 points per game. Johnson is committed to Louisville and will also get two seasons of eligibility, according to multiple reports. 

Another former G Leaguer, Abdullah Ahmed, is awaiting a final decision on his NCAA eligibility but has announced his three finalists should get to to play college hoops: BYU, Houston and Mississippi State.

This marks a massive shift for the NCAA, which previously barred anyone who had played professionally for money from playing Division I basketball. A series of stinging court defeats, combined with NIL’s blurring of professionalism and amateurism, has led the NCAA to loosen the rules. 

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo is not thrilled. 

“I am going to get myself in trouble, but I listen to people talk about how kids changed. Kids aren’t the problem; we’re the problem,” Izzo told reporters Tuesday. “This was sprung on us again yesterday, where a guy can be in the G League for two or three years and then all of a sudden, he’s eligible. Most of my people knew nothing about it. ... I’m not real excited about the NCAA or whoever is making these decisions, without talking to us, just letting it go. They’re afraid they're going to get sued.”

The NCAA's decision is rife with unintended consequences. Will it mean someone can return to college after playing in the NBA? Is this a new precedent? When coaches complain about not having any rules, this is what they’re talking about.

“The NCAA has got to regroup. They’ve got to regroup,” Izzo said. “That’s my opinion — only my opinion. Don’t be mad at anybody else. Be mad at us, but I’m not going to be mad at the players. I’m going to be mad at the adults in the room, and so don’t blame the players anymore. Blame the adults that make the decisions, that allow some of these ridiculous things to happen. And then the unintended consequences hurt kids that are trying to do it the right way with a process, not jumping around. And that’s my two cents, so put that wherever you want.”

Clemson baseball coach says no to NIL bidding wars

Clemson takes its baseball seriously. 

The Tigers are an almost annual NCAA tournament participant, but their most recent College World Series trip was 15 years ago. 

Ending that drought is the No. 1 priority for Erik Bakich, who’s won more than 70 percent of his games since coming to Clemson from Michigan in 2022. And in college ball, the key to winning is no different than in the major leagues: It requires elite pitching. 

As Bakich detailed at a press conference Tuesday, the Tigers ran into a roadblock in finding pitching help during the offseason: money. 

Clemson spares no expense, spending $6.4 million on baseball in fiscal year 2024. But dollars and cents did not help the team attain more power arms, despite going after a “who’s who.” 

The reason? Bakich said no to an NIL bidding war. 

“Decided not to offer them because they just weren’t a culture fit,” Bakich said. “That was a little bit of a risky decision. But personally, philosophically, we’re not gonna win a bidding war and potentially lose the locker room.”

It was a risk because a lack of pitching doomed Clemson’s 2025 season. Most coaches would also say it’s a risk to have locker room dysfunction. But is Bakich’s stance the right one? 

It’s hard to say without knowing the exact details. His complaint feels out of place, though, and is a tired excuse from coaches in the NIL era. In professional sports — and every other walk of life — not every employee makes the same amount of money. And it doesn’t lead to strife in every workplace. 

“This might be right, wrong or indifferent,” Bakich said. “But I just refuse to give a new player more money who hasn’t poured one ounce of blood, sweat, or tears into the program, hasn’t played one pitch of Clemson baseball, and is demanding more than anyone else on the team. We’ll say ‘adios’ to that dude every time.”

To be clear, Bakich is not an NIL fuddy duddy. He’s been active in that space since he got the Clemson job. However, this is a principled stance that could cost his team the chance to reach its full potential.

Vanderbilt’s GM has a background in media — and has been crucial to its success

College general managers come from a variety of backgrounds. Some made their reputations shaking hands and raising money. Others have backgrounds in analytics. Still others come from the pro ranks, the NBA and NFL.

This week, the Athletic went deep on one GM in particular: Vanderbilt’s Barton Simmons, a former Ivy League safety who spent his professional career at Rivals and 247Sports working primarily on prospect rankings.

Per the story, Simmons has been a vital element of the Commodores’ turnaround since he came aboard in 2021, playing a major role in evaluating recruits and roster construction. “Now, we want to build a team of NFL prospects, but through our process of building, [we want] a team that fits together,” Simmons told the Athletic in the piece, where he also shares some insights into the roster he helped build. No. 10 Vanderbilt hosts No. 15 Missouri this afternoon, and ESPN’s “College GameDay” will be on campus.

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NIL BLITZ

♦️ For the second time this season, an Oklahoma State football coach sounded off on an opponent’s NIL resources.

♦️ A group of Democratic senators denounced the SCORE Act, an NIL-related bill that is primarily backed by Republicans and opposed by Democrats.

♦️ Rutgers athletic director Keli Zenn continues her aggressive NIL push, with the creation of two jobs in the department focused on NIL and revenue sharing.

♦️ Urban Meyer said he was wrong about NIL preventing coaches from being fired.

♦️ Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea detailed how NIL and the transfer portal helped turn around the once moribund football program.

♦️ Jeremiah Smith is the first college athlete to appear on a Red Bull can.

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BATTER UP

Today’s Poll Question:

Last Edition’s Poll Results:

Should high school athletes be able to partake in NIL?

• Yes - 26%

• No - 74%