Iona head coach Rick Pitino disagrees with a call by a ref during a MAAC Conference basketball game against Siena at Iona College in New Rochelle Jan. 25, 2022. Iona never trailed as they defeated Sienna 74-55. Iona Vs Sienna Basketball
By Arthur Weinstein on

Legendary college basketball coach Rick Pitino has voiced his concerns about the NCAA’s new NIL policy in the past.

But he blew up about the topic after his Iona Gaels defeated the Manhattan Jaspers Friday night.

Once the topic turned to NIL, the two-year-old policy that lets athletes profit from their Name, Image and Likeness, Pitino cut loose. Lohud.com’s Eugene Rapay captured the rant in a Twitter thread that showed the 70-year-old Pitino attacking virtually every aspect of NIL.

Pitino was just getting warmed up.

“Now they (NCAA) don’t know what to do about NIL to get it under control, because they’re going after HS kids,” Pitino said. “So what’s going to happen? There’ll be 2000 kids in the portal and you know what they are? Free agents. …

“They’re going around seeing who will offer the most money. 1,000 kids are going to be free agents and they’ll be free agents next year. It’s a difficult thing and the NCAA was once again just reactive, never proactive. …”

The NCAA, Pitino said, did not have a plan before implementing NIL.

“Congress was after them for years about not giving players money back from the tournament,” Pitino said. “Now they’re behind the 8-ball and don’t know what to do about it. Quite frankly, none of us know what to do about it.”

While Pitino’s happy the players are finally making money, he says there’s more at stake.

“Are we happy about it? I’m glad the players are making money, but I’m a little old school,” Pitino continued. “If you make money, you have to earn it because when you leave, they’re not going to be given anything again. I hope players are investing it wisely…”
The bottom line? Pitino said the NCAA is now a pro sport.
“We’re not amateurs anymore, we’re flat out pros,” he said. “We’re getting paid. The only negative is pros have the luxury of signing multiple-year contracts so you know what they’ll be paid. Here, I hate to see what the portal’s going to be this year.”
There’s no question the NIL has dramatically changed the NCAA landscape. Former Auburn head football coach Tommy Tuberville, now a U.S. Senator from Alabama, is drafting bipartisan legislation to reform NIL.
Pitino is in his third season at Iona, after previous college stops at Providence, Boston University, Kentucky and Louisville. He also served as head coach of the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.

[Eugene Rapay, lohud.com]

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About Arthur Weinstein

Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.

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