Now that the college basketball season is over for all but 4 schools, one thing has become apparently clear and that is there needs to be some reforms to things like NIL and the transfer portal. The amount of stress put on coaches having so many players leave is immense. The NIL and players just moving around for money is also very stressful. I think that's why you have seen so many coaches retiring the last several years. Tony Bennet left UVA right before the year started. Jim Larranaga retired mid season. You could even look at big name coaches who retired in teh last few years such as Jay Wright, Jim Boeheim, Coach K, and Roy Williams. And while the latter 3 were at retirement age, you have to wonder if they would retire if they could coach they way they always have. I believe that the way things have to be done now, they knew it was their time to get out.
Reforming the NIL will be very difficult. The NIL isn't really used for what it is supposed to be used for. Players are just being paid by boosters and donors. It was supposed to be to allow players to capitalize on the fact their name and likeness is being used to generate money for the schools, TV Networks, etc. But it just seems like it's open negotiations with schools to see who will pay the players the most money. The TV Networks are still making a ton of money and the schools have just found new ways to get money to pay players while still taking in all the money from TV contracts, etc. Every school has an NIL program where you can donate money to pay the players. I just think the NIL situation is a mess that will be very difficult to reign in. And whatever reforms are proposed., there will always be problems with how players are paid as it either won't be enough for some players and schools or will put a burden on other schools who can't afford to pay what is necessary to compete. So it's just a mess and it's probably going to get worse before it gets better. The toothpaste is out of the tube on this one and I don't think there is anyway to get it back in.
The transfer portal, however, I think can be more easily reformed. As it is now, so many players are essentially free agents every year. They play at one school one year and head to the portal to go to the next school. There are currently over 1500 players in the transfer portal and the transfer portal window just opened this past week. A lot of that is for players to get more money from their current school or a new school, some of it is for players to get more playing time, and some kids just want to be in a different situation. But in my opinion, I think they should get rid of allowing unlimited transfers without sitting out. They should allow only 1 free transfer; otherwise, you have to sit out a year if you transfer. I think they also could institute something that says you only get that no sit transfer if you have been at the same school for 2 years. That will give some level of continuity for coaches to try and build a team. I do think they should allow players to transfer without sitting out if their coach leaves for any reason (firing, resigning, taking another job, retiring, etc.) I think that is one thing the old system was a bit too harsh with. A coach leaving means a change in philosophy, players, etc. So allowing a kid to transfer and not sit out should be allowed in that instance. But they need to do something to reign in the transfer portal which is basically the wild, wild west now.
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The Rook
