Charles Barkley has some worries for the future of college basketball.
Barkley was a guest on ESPN’s broadcast of Wednesday’s Auburn-Ole Miss game, and was asked by announcer Karl Ravech for his thoughts on where the college game is going. Ravech seemed to be teeing Barkley up to comment on the abundance of three-point attempts and style of play, but Barkley took aim at bigger structural interests within the sport.
“I think we’ve got to have a talk about college basketball. I don’t think the model of NIL is sustainable,” Barkley said. “Listen, I want all these kids to get whatever they can get, but asking colleges to come up with $20-$30 million a year, especially some of the smaller schools, I don’t think that’s a sustainable model. I love these kids. I want them to do well.
“You got to understand, most of these kids got to get a free education, which is by far and away the most important thing. One of the great travesties of this country is what we’re charging kids to go to college. We need to find a way to make sure the smaller schools can compete.”
Barkley is certainly not the first to say something like this. Multiple high-profile coaches have quit in the last year citing NIL and changes to the college game as the biggest factor in their decision. There does not appear to be a clear plan to address the issue, either.
Similar concerns have impacted college football as well. Barkley’s comment about the risk of smaller schools falling behind is quite pertinent in both sports.
By his own admission, Barkley is not exactly an oracle when it comes to college basketball. He would likely find many who agree with these comments, though, especially among those who do not root for traditional powers.
