Rick Pitino says NIL money 'means nothing' to players

Hello, we’ve made it to the weekend!

The YouTube TV-Disney dispute will be on a lot of people’s minds over the next few days of sports. Another hot topic is NIL, and you’ve come to the right place for news! The CSC released data, Rick Pitino made some interesting comments, and Houston players will be driving the nicest cars in the city.

No. 1 Ferris State, the subject of Thursday’s story, is playing at Saginaw Valley State as it attempts to win its 24th consecutive game.

And speaking of Hot Topic, make sure you get an all-access subscription to NIL Wire so you can read next Thursday’s story. It’ll be an interesting one.

— Kyle

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THE BIG 3

Finally, positive momentum for the CSC

It was another busy week for the College Sports Commission, except this one had positive results. 

First, the CSC codified bylaws requiring junior college and high school athletes to report all third-party NIL deals to NIL Go. Athletes at both levels will have two weeks from the date of initial enrollment to report all deals. Division I athletes only have five days. 

High school athletes are now required to disclose any deals worth more than $600 signed before their junior year. The target is pay-for-play, which is easier to achieve at the JUCO or high school level.  

On Thursday, the CSC released updated data related to NIL Go. Since the platform launched, 12,175 deals worth $87.5 million have cleared, while 394 deals worth more than $10 million have not cleared. There's a significant difference in average values between cleared ($7,186) and uncleared deals ($25,380).

Deals in October cleared 21 percent faster than in September. However, it's unknown how many deals are in limbo. More than 3,300 deals worth nearly $25 million were cleared in October. 

During NIL Go’s four months of existence, 53 percent of deals were resolved within 24 hours.

NIL Go released these figures, so it’s no surprise they are mostly rosy. But it’s becoming abundantly clear that NIL Go is making progress, and many of the earlier frustrations are diminishing as the platform ages.

Vroom, vroom 🏎️ 

Who doesn’t love a sleek, fast car? 

Finding one on the University of Houston’s campus won’t be difficult in the coming years after the school signed a unique NIL deal with Group 1 Automotive, Inc., a Fortune 250 company with 259 dealerships in the United States and the United Kingdom. 

Group 1 will be the exclusive luxury vehicle partner for Houston athletics, with its branding featured prominently at football, basketball and baseball events. Group 1 will work with Houston’s players to promote brand initiatives, community involvement and social storytelling that highlight shared values of hard work, leadership and excellence. There will be on-site activations, digital and broadcast media integrations, alumni and fan engagement and community-driven programs.

Oh, and the deal is expected to include Houston players and coaches driving nice cars. The only thing college athletes might like more than winning is looking good. And driving a luxury car is high on their list. Unless Houston has a Georgia situation, with frequent speeding tickets, this is a clever use of NIL. 

“We’re thrilled to team up with Group 1 Automotive and pair our brands together to create additional engagement opportunities for Houston fans and enhance the student-athlete experience,” said Shane Hildreth, general manager of Houston Cougars Sports Properties.

Pitino: NIL money meaningless to players

Anyone who’s ever watched a college sporting event has an opinion on NIL. That extends to coaches, whose takes on the current landscape vary drastically, with some believing it has ruined their sport and others embracing the changes.

Seventy-three-year-old Rick Pitino sounded off on NIL this week, saying that money means nothing to most college basketball players. It’s a fascinating opinion from a person of his generation and someone whose St. John’s team budget tops $10 million. 

“You know, the greatest misconception is because they’re being paid [they don’t care about winning championships],” Pitino said Thursday on WFAN. “I would say, there’s no difference than 20 years ago. The pay means nothing at all to them. Matter of fact, I would say that 90 percent of the players give the money to their families. So it’s really not the compensation. If you watched us practice, you wouldn’t think it was any different than 25 years ago.”

Where NIL has created an issue, according to Pitino, is with mid-major programs, where their top players leave for paydays at bigger programs through the transfer portal. It also contradicts what he previously said about money, though there could be an argument that once a player is at a power program, money doesn’t erase the sting of losing. 

Pitino agrees that college sports have become more professionalized, and it’s most evident in how he coaches today’s players. At Kentucky and Louisville, Pitino was famous for how hard he coached. It wasn’t Bobby Knight’s in-your-face screaming, but Pitino was not exactly calm (and he still isn’t). 

“I can’t get on them individually because they get embarrassed very easily,” he said. “Not that they’re not tough, they just get embarrassed. So I bring them in one-on-one and I show them the tape, and I show them analytically about the mistakes you’re making. But they’re the same players. They play just as hard as any team I’ve ever coached, it’s just you gotta handle them differently today. They’re professionals, you gotta treat them like pros.”

NIL BLITZ

♦️ Kentucky QB Zach Calzada, who was benched in Week 2, showed everyone that he’s doing just fine thanks to NIL in a dubious social media post.

♦️ Wisconsin announced that Luke Fickell will return for 2026. Athletic director Chris McIntosh believes the school is well-positioned to build on its existing NIL opportunities.

♦️ Tennessee-turned-Giants manager Tony Vitello said NIL is a mess.

♦️ NIL in the Ivy League is different than the Big Ten and SEC. Penn men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery lauded the school’s alumni for offering paid internships.

♦️ Colleges are arguing that making revenue-sharing figures public would cause competitive harm.

♦️ Ipsos has interesting polling numbers from the public on NIL and the future of college athletics.

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BATTER UP

Today’s Poll Question:

Last Edition’s Poll Results:

Should college athletes be allowed to bet on pro sports?

• Yes - 25%

• No - 75%