Kentucky head basketball coach sounds off on NIL
College basketball has changed a ton over the years thanks to the transfer portal taking off and players being able to make money due to name, image, and likeness.
Some coaches like the changes and others don't, but regardless of how folks feel, this is reality, and they need to adapt to the new world of college hoops.
At Kentucky they are doing NIL the correct with having student athlete's work with a small or large business. We have seen Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham work with Donatos Pizza and Antonio Reeves work with Southland Lanes. Reeves and women's basketball player Cassidy Rowe also recently worked with Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers.
Coach Calipari had this to say about NIL, "If you aren't mentally and physically ready to go, you shouldn't go. Now, with NIL, it's all ego. Sometimes, it can be family ego. Well, I'm mad because he played more, "He should have played more. He was better than your son." But your son is fine. Maybe it'll take a little more time. That's the thing I worry about is kids may leave when there is no reason to. No reason to. You want to stay. You need to stay. Look, Willie Cauley-Stein came to me kind of like Patrick did and said I want to stay another year. You know me, I'm like, why would you want to stay another year? Willie Cauley-Stein said I'm not mentally ready to do this yet. The second thing, and I can't believe he said it, and he might have been lying, but he said, "I'm enjoying school right now. Coach, you know I need more." So, I said okay."
NIL has helped change the lives of these athletes and their families, which is excellent. Kentucky is doing things the right way on the NIL front, and this is helping the student-athletes make some money while in school.
