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NIL has been a fixture in college basketball for years, and ESPN announcer Jay Bilas said the sport has never been better.
Bilas, 62, said the NIL has allowed players to be compensated while staying in school longer.
“I don’t think it’s ever been better. The players are better than ever. We’re seeing now that because of NIL, because of player compensation, players are staying in school longer than in previous years,” Bilas told Pak Gazette Digital.
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ESPN College GameDay host Jay Bilas prepares to broadcast before the game between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, on February 1, 2025. (Lance King/Getty Images)
“That’s more years of player service for college teams than they used to have. And I think it’s reflected in a higher level of play. And for those who say, ‘Hey, you know, players should stay in school,’ they stay in school to continue their education and make money while doing it.”
Bilas said that if a musician, author or actor earned money while studying, they would be praised. The former Duke star added that NIL has allowed talent to spread further and cited Indiana as an example.
“I think it’s been nothing but good for the sport. We’ve seen the talent spread more and look, I’m not a football fan. I like watching football, but I wouldn’t consider myself in the expert category, but I find it hard to believe that Indiana could win a national championship under the old system. And they won one in the NIL era,” Bilas said.
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ESPN analyst Jay Bilas stands courtside before the game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Florida Atlantic Owls at Madison Square Garden in New York City on December 5, 2023. (Porter Binks/Getty Images)
“Like Alabama or Clemson, they can’t stack threes at every position like they used to. And one, they can’t afford it. And two, players say, ‘Wait a minute, I can do this to be a starter at Texas A&M. Why would I go here and be a backup?'”
While Bilas praised NIL, he still doesn’t believe the players are being paid what they are worth.
“I think it’s nothing but a good thing and it’s great for the players that now they can at least negotiate for something close to their value. They’re not getting their value yet, but at least they’re getting close to their value,” Bilas said.
The station pointed out the hypocrisy fans have with changing school coaches compared to transferring players. Bilas said fans don’t complain when coaches leave for another school, but they do when a player hits the transfer portal.
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Sportscaster Jay Bilas plays golf during the first practice round of the 2025 ACC Celebrity Golf Championship at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline, Nevada, on July 9, 2025. (David Calvert/Getty Images for American Century Investments)
“There’s never been a salary cap for coaches. Their compensation keeps going up and the coach portal is always open. You know, they leave whenever they feel like it and no one says tampering when another school takes them. That has to change because they’re under contract at another member institution and in the real world that’s called tortuous interference with contract, and the NCAA just turns its head the other way and says, ‘there’s nothing to see here.'”
“But they complain when it comes to players, not the NCAA, but fans complain about players, but they never seem to complain about coaches.”
Bilas will play in the American Century Tournament July 10-12 at Edgewood Golf Course in Lake Tahoe. The tournament will air on NBC and Peacock.
