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Big Ten Daily (March 17): Players Speak Out About NIL Ahead of NCAA Tournament

NCAA players have been tweeting #NotNCAAProperty in regards to name, image and likeness.
Dylan Wallace|
Big Ten Daily (March 17): Players Speak Out About NIL Ahead of NCAA Tournament
Big Ten Daily (March 17): Players Speak Out About NIL Ahead of NCAA Tournament

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Rutgers guard Geo Baker, who has been vocal about college athletes' rights for name, image and likeness in the past, has sparked a popular hashtag on Twitter that numerous players have gotten behind.

It all started when Jon Rothstein tweeted on Tuesday, "Are people really complaining about things in the bubble? Would you prefer to go back to the situation we endured last year? We're having an NCAA Tournament and that's all that matters. Be grateful for what you DO have in life. Not what you don't."

Baker responded with, "Think you can definitely be grateful to play this game while also understanding there’s more that should be on the table. Players ISOLATED entire year to help make this tournament happen. NCAA: rewarded w/ $900 million. Players: rewarded w/ free deodorant and small boxed meals."

Baker followed that up with another tweet on Wednesday, saying, "The NCAA OWNS my name image and likeness. Someone on music scholarship can profit from an album. Someone on academic scholarship can have a tutor service. For ppl who say “an athletic scholarship is enough.” Anything less than equal rights is never enough. I am #NotNCAAProperty"

It created a domino effect for players in the Big Ten, and around the country, to speak out and use that hashtag as well. Guys like fellow Scarlet Knight Ron Harper Jr., Iowa's Jordan Bohannon and Michigan's Isaiah Livers.

It's an important message that these players want to get across before taking part in the most exciting tournament in college basketball.

Jamal Mashburn Enters Transfer Portal

Minnesota freshman guard Jamal Mashburn Jr. has entered the transfer portal on Wednesday afternoon.

Mashburn enters the portal after Minnesota coach Rick Pitino was fired on Monday. Pitino is now the head coach at New Mexico.

Mashburn was Minnesota's top recruit in the class of 2020, and he averaged 8.2 points in 22.7 minutes and played in all 29 games this season, including starting the last eight games.

"We are going through the process," former NBA and Kentucky star Jamal Mashburn Sr. told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "My son had a great time at Minnesota and learned a lot."

Ohio State-Illinois was Most-Watched Game of Season

In the final game before Selection Sunday got underway, Illinois and Ohio State delivered a classic game in the Big Ten Tournament Championship.

The game went to overtime, delaying the start time of the NCAA Tournament bracket reveal, which meant a lot of eyes were on the game.

Illinois prevailed in overtime 91-88. The game earned 3.678 million viewers, per CBS, and it peaked at 5.783 viewers from 6 to 6:09 p.m. during overtime.

That made it the most-watched game of the college basketball season in 2020-21.

Related Stories on Indiana Basketball

  • ARCHIE MILLER FIRED: Indiana fires Archie Miller on Monday after four subpar seasons at the helm of the Hoosiers program. CLICK HERE
  • SCOTT DOLSON VIDEO: Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson met with the media Monday and explained why he fired Archie Miller, how tough the decision way, and his vision for the future. Watch all 26 minutes here. CLICK HERE
  • DURHAM ENTERS TRANSFER PORTAL: Indiana guard Al Durham played four years for Miller, but he's entered the transfer portal to take advantage of that fifth-year opportunity granted by the NCAA. CLICK HERE
  • TOM BREW COLUMN: Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson didn't let that big buyout get in the way of making the right decision for the basketball program. CLICK HERE
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Dylan Wallace
DYLAN WALLACE

Dylan Wallace is a reporter for Sports Illustrated Indiana. He is a 2020 graduate of Indiana University in Bloomington, and is from Crown Point, Ind.

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