• Loading stock data...
Saturday, November 2, 2024
The Best Employers in Sports survey is open through Nov. 6 Learn More

Men’s Basketball Players Are Staying In School Longer Thanks to NIL

  • New NIL era, athletes have more flexibility to wait an extra year — or more — before entering the draft.
  • Gonzaga’s Drew Timme admitted their NIL earnings helped convince them to stay in school another year.
NIL has changed the decision making on players staying in school or turn pro.
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
For the majority of men’s college basketball players, choosing to enter the NBA Draft is a high-risk, high-reward decision. 

They could go into the draft and forgo their college eligibility in the hopes of pursuing a coveted NBA salary. Or they could go back to school and continue working on their skills — and their education. 

If players lose out on an NBA contract, they could be left in limbo — forced to go overseas, endure endless tryouts for G League teams, and postpone or abandon their degrees. Everyone knows a player who entered the draft a bit too early and was left high and dry.

But the arrival of name, image, and likeness has completely changed that calculus. For the first time, players can have their cake and eat it, too: go back to school and make money at the same time. 

Since NIL rules were changed in 2021, many high-profile players have chosen to stay in college longer than they may have without NIL. The rise of collectives — groups of donors and alumni who pool resources to help athletes at a particular school get deals — have contributed significantly.

Since NIL isn’t the only factor, its influence is ultimately impossible to quantify. But Gonzaga’s Drew Timme, Illinois’ Terrence Shannon Jr. and Coleman Hawkins, and UNC’s Armando Bacot are just a few of the more noteworthy holdouts.

Even former NBA star Spencer Haywood, who sued the NBA in the 1970s so he could be eligible for the pros at a younger age, told FOS that NIL would have convinced him to stay put. 

Haywood, whose mother was living in poverty in Mississippi at the time, told Front Office Sports, “My whole system of belief at that time was that I just wanted to get my mother out of this cotton field — picking this cotton for $2 a day. She’s been picking since she was four years old. … I just wanted them out.”

The Process

Multiple rule changes regarding NBA Draft eligibility have contributed to the current conundrum.

In its early days, the NBA didn’t allow athletes to declare until they’d been out of high school for four years.

That all changed in 1971, when Haywood sued the NBA for disallowing him to play for the Seattle SuperSonics. In a case ultimately decided by the Supreme Court, the NBA was forced to allow players to enter the draft at age 18. 

In 2005, the league adopted the current “one-and-done” rule — meaning players must be 19 to enter the draft. That iteration of the rule created the current situation, where players have to decide whether to declare or stay in school.

Since 2016, the NBA has softened the rule — but only a bit. It now allows players thinking of declaring to meet with teams, participate in tryouts and the combine, and get feedback on how their draft stock may fare. But if they ultimately decide to participate in the draft, their NCAA playing days are over.

Making A Choice

This year, that grace period for testing the waters was relatively short — after their seasons were over, the NBA-mandated deadline to make such a monumental decision was May 31.

For the top stars, entering the draft is a no-brainer — no amount of NIL earnings can usurp a top-20 NBA contract. But NIL is truly transformative for athletes on the bubble for only 60 coveted spots.

The first thing to consider during that time is feedback from pro scouts and coaches about the probability of being drafted. A second option to consider is whether their projected NBA salary would be significantly more than a player’s projected NIL earnings.

Take Drew Timme. The Gonzaga forward chose to spend an extra year in college before participating in this year’s edition. Part of his logic, he previously told Front Office Sports, was that his NIL earnings were already comparable to his most likely NBA offer: a two-way deal ranging from $250,000-$500,000.

Timme even used NIL to explore post-basketball career paths, like being a sports broadcaster. 

“We’re so young, and there’s so many things we can do later on in life,” Timme said. “It’s important not to limit yourself to one thing only. I think you should try out a bunch of things to figure out what you like.”

Of course, not every player has the marketability of the bubbly, recognizable “chin-fluencer.” But the rise of NIL collectives has allowed athletes who may not be as appealing to brands but still appeal to alumni to stick around and earn a decent amount. While collectives and players have to be careful that deals aren’t considered “inducements,” there’s an unspoken assumption that players can “negotiate” with collectives for offers that entice them to stay in school longer, according to CBS Sports.

And then there are the players who don’t even go through the draft exploration process, content to stretch out their college careers as long as possible. 

UNC center Armando Bacot, who reportedly makes at least half a million each year from NIL, could have entered the 2022 Draft. At the time, he didn’t even explore the possibility.

The decision to return to the Tar Heels was “a no-brainer,” Bacot told SI last year. “I get a chance to get better, get my degree, be around all my friends, and then also make a lot of money.”

And even though his draft stock has improved in the past season, he didn’t explore the draft option this year, either. He’ll return to UNC for his fifth year of eligibility.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Oct 19, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) shakes hands while entering the locker room after a game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

NIL Director Is the Trendy New Job in College Sports. But the Role Is Chaos

Athletic departments nationwide are hiring for what’s become their most important position.

College Coaching Legends Say Their Players Are Professionals

More and more coaches admit they see their players as pros.

Vanderbilt QB Disputes Licensed NIL Apparel: ‘This Is Not Me’

Diego Pavia is upset about “Vandy We Turnt” shirts.
Sep 21, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) walks through Buff Walk before the game against the Baylor Bears at Folsom Field.
opinion

The NIL Era Is a Wild West. Is Anyone Surprised?

Amateurism is dead and college athletes are professionals. How’s that working out?
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

First-Ever 12-Team CFP Takes Shape

0:00

Featured Today

Sep 28, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; GOP Presidential candidate Donald Trump waves flanked by former Georgia Bulldogs player Herschel Walker, recording art Kid Rock, professional golfer John Daily, Alabama senators Tommy Tuberville (R) and Katie Britt (R) during the second half of the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Mission Swing State: College Football’s Political Advertising Battle

Trump, Harris, and the PACs that support them are utilizing the sport.
October 31, 2024

The Untapped Revenue ‘Powder Keg’ of Women’s NFL Fandom

There’s a “boatload” of money at stake for brands and the league.
FuboTV signage
opinion
October 26, 2024

Fubo’s Fight Against Streaming Giants Feels Futile

Fubo notched a legal win, but subs and stock still slump.
October 25, 2024

Inside The Wall at L.A. Clippers’ New $2B Home

FOS went inside the “contagious” energy at the L.A. Clippers’ Intuit Dome.
Eastern New Mexico forward Jose Murillo (33) passes the ball between Grand Canyon University forward Sammie Yeanay (23) and guard Makaih Williams (2) during an exhibition game at Global Credit Union Arena in Phoenix on Oct. 29, 2024.

Grand Canyon University to Join Mountain West in 2026

The Mountain West has added three new schools after the Pac-12 poached five from the conference.
The Fox Big Noon Kickoff crew broadcasts from the endzone prior to the NCAA football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
October 31, 2024

ESPN-Fox Pregame Battle in Focus at Ohio State–Penn State

Fox has the game broadcast at noon ET.
November 1, 2024

Olympic Sport College Coaches Hire Lobbyists Amid NCAA Upheaval

The NCAA and power conferences have spent millions on an effort to preserve amateurism.
Sponsored

World Series Delivers High-Demand Marquee Matchup

The hype around the World Series matchup drove ticket prices to record levels—but the Dodgers’ dominance quickly quieted the fervor.
October 28, 2024

College Football Playoff Expansion Already Heating Up Off-Field Drama

ESPN’s and Fox’s rival pregame shows will broadcast from the same campus.
Oct 19, 2024; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis (16) throws the ball during the second half against the UCLA Bruins at SHI Stadium.
October 24, 2024

CFB Fans Can Thank Fox, World Series for 11 p.m. Rutgers Game

Fox has aired five Friday night college football games so far this season.
The NCAA logo on the field in the closing second of the Anderson University inaugural football game with St. Andrew's University on Spero Financial Field at Melvin and Dollie Younts Stadium at Anderson University in Anderson, S.C. Saturday, September 7, 2024. Anderson won 51-14.
October 22, 2024

Charlie Baker Thinks There’s Room for Private Equity in College Sports

College athletic departments are seeking out more revenue streams.
Oct 19, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart in the second quarter against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
October 22, 2024

Georgia-Texas Season’s Most-Viewed CFB Game, Another ABC Win

Georgia-Texas on Saturday night drew 13.2 million viewers.