- Former NBA star says NCAA cannot pay all the players
- Barkley says financial incentives will ruin parity
- New rules will make poorer schools ‘irrelevant’ in title chase
NBA legend Charles Barkley has never been shy about sharing his opinions, no matter how controversial they might be. And while these opinions can occasionally spark controversy, Barkley isn’t always in the wrong.
Recently, the former basketball star sat down for an interview with 60 Minutes, where he went on his latest rant about the state of college basketball.
In a new rule, college athletes are allowed to make money, and it has turned the recruiting process into a bidding war between the richest schools.
“It’s a travesty and a disgrace. I’m so mad now how we can mess up something so beautiful… We can’t pay all these players. In the next three to five years, we’re gonna have 25 schools that’s gonna dominate the sports because they can afford players. The schools who can’t afford or won’t pay players are gonna be irrelevant.”
chuckNCAA pic.twitter.com/rHlj0ESUI2
— Erick Savage (@ErickSavage13) August 1, 2023
One of the best things about the college scene is that there was so much parity. For the most part, talent was spread out, and it gave every school, even the smaller ones, a chance to go all the way.
Now, the balance of power will be dictated by money, and it’s going to be the biggest, most popular schools that are in contention for the title year after year. Clearly, that’s not the change that Chuck wanted and it remains to be seen how this new structure will impact the college sports environment over the next few years.
Should The NBA Lower The Draft Age Eligibility?
With all these changes to the college game, perhaps the NBA should reconsider its stance on the draft age. As it stands, NBA athletes need to be at least 19 years old before they can apply for the NBA.
In the past, there’s been major pushback on changing that number, but there has been some traction in recent months…
“Lowering the age eligibility for the NBA Draft to 18 years old, which would effectively end the one-and-done system in college basketball,” wrote Shams Charania of The Athletic. “The NBA and NBPA have momentum on an agreement to terms that would lower the age to 18 for the draft, but sources say the union is pushing for conditions that would facilitate veteran players providing tutelage and orientation to the high schoolers entering the league.”
For now, all we can do is watch and wait how things play out but the state of college sports has a direct impact on the pros and it’s clear that not everybody likes the direction that college athletics are being taken.
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