Coach K: NCAA ill-prepared, NIL is 'the impetus for change'

Mike Krzyzewski’s legendary career might be over, but he’s still one of the leading voices in college sports. The former Duke coach has a new perspective on the NIL conversation, now on the outside looking in.

That didn’t stop him from criticizing the NCAA this week, though.

Speaking on SiriusXM, Coach K hammered the NCAA over its handling of NIL. It’s been a major talking point this offseason as the college athletics landscape changes before our eyes, and Krzyzewski shared his thoughts on why things have been so out of control.

“The NCAA has been hit with a tsunami of entrepreneurship — a tsunami they cannot handle,” Coach K said. “The current structure that we’re dealing with now is outdated and cannot handle what’s going on in college athletics. I think NIL is terrific and I think it’s the impetus for change. It’s the impetus for restructuring.”

There have been multiple conversations about the current state of NIL in the wake of the public feud between Alabama head football coach Nick Saban and Texas A&M headman Jimbo Fisher. Saban alleged the Aggies “bought every player on their team“ from their highly rated recruiting class, and Fisher fired back defending his program and calling Saban a “narcissist” during an emergency press conference. Texas A&M had the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class this year, according to the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Ranking.

But college basketball has seen its share of issues, as well. Most notably, Miami guard Isaiah Wong reportedly issued an ultimatum to the Hurricanes, threatening to hit the transfer portal if his NIL compensation wasn’t increased. Ultimately, mega-booster John Ruiz offered to work with Wong to maximize his NIL opportunities and Wong returned to Miami after withdrawing from the 2022 NBA Draft.

The NCAA has also issued new guidance about the roles of boosters in recruiting, clarifying the current set of rules.