The transfer portal and the introduction of NIL, which allows student-athletes to receive compensation via sponsorship deals, have forever changed the NCAA landscape. It’s great to see athletes finally compensated fairly for putting their bodies on the line, but these changes have blurred the line on what exactly is an amateur athlete.
An uproar was caused earlier this month when a former G-League basketball player was allowed to commit to the Louisville Cardinals.
“G-League Ignite point guard London Johnson has committed to Louisville in the 2026 class, source told (The Field of 68). Johnson, 21, spent last year in the G League with the Maine (Celtics) and Cleveland Charge. Likely will have two years left to play. Johnson, who played his high school ball at Norcross in Georgia, is expected to arrive in Louisville mid-year and will sit out for the rest of the season, and be eligible next year,” Jeff Goodman reported.
Legendary Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban is not happy about where things are trending.
“We’re letting G League players come play in college? Pretty soon, we’re going to have the New York Giants’ backup quarterback not getting enough development, so we’re going to send him to Penn State or somewhere else for a year to play.
“It’s crazy, absolutely crazy. Why not make these kids professionals, treat them like professionals and collective bargain the whole thing?” he wanted to know, according to On3.
Fans reacted to Saban’s take on social media.
“I mean, the NHL is essentially that already. But no, let’s complain about the majority black sports instead, as usual,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
“To be clear: university presidents, athletic directors, states and federal government are the ones failing college football. They are the ones pulling or not pulling the strings,” someone else added.
“Nick your friends that hoard the money at these institutions are what’s in the way… kids aren’t the problem it’s institutional greed,” one fan added.
It’ll be interesting to see how wild things get for the future of college sports.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.