The mean streets of social media can be tough to navigate. Sorting what’s real and what’s fake, especially on X, is tricky business, as even college basketball sage Dick Vitale fell for a satirical fake post on Sunday.
Vitale’s attention was completely captured by a satirical X account that posted false news about UConn Huskies star Braylon Mullins holding an “NIL auction” to determine which school he would transfer to following a memorable 2026 NCAA Tournament.
The 86-year-old Dick Vitale apparently did not check the X account’s bio, which explicitly says “Everything I do is Satire,” as he shared a strong opinion on the current landscape of college basketball in the NIL era, albeit one based on a made-up story.
“This is college – sickening @NCAA must do something about the CHAOS GOING ON – how in the world can they write all about student – athletes in their NCAA manual – that is JOKE – put some rules together to end this wild Wild West,” Vitale wrote.
For the record, Mullins has not declared anything about leaving UConn, but the temptation to transfer to another program — or even turn pro — is always a possibility.
Mullins was among the major figures of the 2026 edition of March Madness, particularly for his game-winning shot in the Elite 8 against the Duke Blue Devils.
