San Diego State HC Brian Dutcher 'Grateful' For NIL Collective
The San Diego State men's basketball team made a stunning run to the NCAA Tournament national title game. They beat top overall seed Alabama, won a thriller against Creighton to advance to the Final Four, and Lamont Butler became a San Diego legend with a game-winning buzzer-beater against Florida Atlantic.
Now, the Aztecs begin the 2023-2024 season with high expectations again. With the season around the corner, head coach Brian Dutcher opened up about the difference NIL has made for his program, and he admits he is 'grateful' for the opportunity, not for himself, but for the players and their families (h/t Andre Haghverdian of EVT News).
"It's not like they're getting rich...I can get a single apartment instead of having to share a double. I can get an extra meal a week. It's all those things that make college easier for them. It's their parents that get to go to a regional game in Orlando or follow them to Louisville...It's all the things that you think would be commonplace, but they aren't. We're grateful for MESA Foundation NIL for helping those kids be able to enjoy the college experience."
The MESA Foundation recently agreed to a multi-year partnership with the athletics department at San Diego State, and Dutcher has been an advocate since the foundation started in 2022 for both hoop's teams.
As the Aztecs head coach said, it's not about the players getting rich, but it's about opening up more opportunities for the families of said players. As he notes, the Final Four is paid for, but up until then, those games aren't.
Dutcher and numerous Aztec players spoke during the Top of the Key event sponsored by the MESA Foundation, and with the season approaching, there will surely be a lot of eyeballs on this program as they try to make another Final Four run.
