The college basketball scene has come a long way over the past decade. For the past couple of years, the players have finally been able to cash in on their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL).
Of course, programs had been illegally paying athletes to play for them for decades, but that open secret has now become the new rule. Of course, that has its detractors.
Recruits now have all the leverage, and while that might be fair to a degree, Memphis coach Penny Hardaway believes there’s just no way to know whether they’re bluffing or not.
Penny Hardaway says the NIL era needs more transparency
“I would rather be transparent,” Hardaway said on his podcast. “We’ve got to get some guardrails at some point, because you don’t know what – guys have told me, ‘Well, such and such is going to give me $2 (million), what are you going to do?’ I don’t know if that’s true or not.”
Memphis coach Penny Hardaway
The tables have turned, and while it’s fair that the players can finally be legally compensated for their efforts and talents, Hardaway believes there should be a way to know for sure how much money is being thrown around.
At the end of the day, this was a long time coming, and it will take an adjustment period before the NCAA can make the necessary adjustments. This is a new era, and this is just how it goes.
