NIL has turned from a dumpster fire into a raging inferno across sports | Opinion

Now that we are in the dark, dank trenches of Name, Image, Likness, there is no denying the chaos it unleashed within collegiate sports. Initially working under the guise to ensure players had primary needs covered, NIL mushroomed into a radical, unregulated pay to play circus, causing athletes to annually jump program to program and send coaches heading for the hills.

Are things better now that money changes hands on top of the table versus underneath? Has integrity reentered the conversation now that the shadowy corners have light? The answer is no and no. What was once a dumpster fire has transitioned into a raging forest fire.

In response, Calipari launched “La Familia” to set up a loaded piggy bank, assisting in recruiting and retaining the nation’s best athletes. The website Spotfund offers an easy transaction to those willing to throw into the pot. As if the request of a donation from one of the highest paid coaches in the country wasn’t nauseating enough, he used his colloquial “The Family” to insinuate that you too can be part of his Cosa Nostra.

The goal of this crowdsourced fundraiser is to hit one million dollars. At last tally I saw approximately $37,000, pulled from over 400 donors. People are actually taking their hard-earned money and placing it into a pot which might entice an 18-year-old (or transfer) to come to Lexington. It reminds me of the “Star Registry” program where you name one of the 200 billion trillion stars. For a couple of dollars, you get a piece of paper showing where the star was located. Similarly, in this Kentucky basketball NIL, you receive a “digital membership card!”

I am not naive enough to believe athletes play only for the love of the game. It is fully appreciated that universities make millions of dollars off the “name, image, and likeness” of their star athletes, whether it be apparel, season tickets, or internal marketing campaigns. Players should reap some benefits while enrolled and actively playing for their school. What becomes bonkers is asking the public to contribute to the kitty which might entice a superstar.

All businessman Calipari needs to do is ask his former players who have made it into their second and third NBA contracts to give crumbs to this Kentucky Basketball NIL. This would be the ultimate self-fulfilling prophecy from Calipari’s lips, a program that is sustained, supported, and entrusted by its former players. This would become Cal’s coup de grace before walking off into the sunset in retirement. Is it possible? Absolutely. Will it happen? Highly doubtful.

NIL is going the way of Super PACs and until guardrails are put into place, the deepest pockets will win out. The idea that noble and necessary humanitarian causes in need of funding will go without so we can jump in a bidding war for a five-star player is pitiful. While a team’s success lends itself to increased revenue about town, priorities are upside down if donating to a basketball NIL takes precedence.

Kudos to the small businesses who carve opportunities out to student athletes to advertise for them. I hope the familiar face of a UK basketball player on the billboard donning their name garners more business and increased market awareness. This was the innocent intention of NIL before being brutally exploited.

I know Kentucky fans love their basketball, but the next time you want to throw your money at something, opt for a food pantry, homeless shelter, CASA, or humane society. The sales pitch for being the gold standard in college basketball might pull at your heart strings, but trust me, Calipari and the Wildcats don’t need your $10.

Jim Jackson is a writer in Frankfort.