Dick Vitale Calls NIL and Transfer Portal in College Basketball 'The Wild West'

Legendary college basketball commentator Dick Vitale isn’t pulling any punches when it comes to his views on the current state of the sport. The 85-year-old icon described the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals and the transfer portal as a "wild west," adding that college basketball has descended into "total chaos."

During a chat on OutKick’s "Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich," Vitale passionately expressed his concerns about the lack of stability in the sport. He highlighted that the transfer portal opened during the heart of the NCAA tournament—a move he called "a joke." Within a single day of its opening, over 1,000 players reportedly entered the portal, many with a singular focus: money.

Vitale shared a particularly eye-opening anecdote, recalling a game he covered where a player had played for four different schools over his college career. "What is going on?" he asked, emphasizing the need for stricter rules governing both NIL and the transfer portal. Vitale even suggested that contracts might be necessary to prevent players from switching schools so quickly, likening the current system to the "best free agency" in sports—even above the pros.

While Vitale is critical of how NIL and the transfer portal are being handled, he doesn’t deny that players deserve compensation. "There’s no doubt players deserve some money with the cash being made," he said, though he admitted he never imagined NIL deals would involve millions of dollars. Instead, he had envisioned players earning money through more traditional avenues, like commercials and appearances.

Vitale also pointed out that NIL money is creating a power imbalance in college basketball. He argued that mid-major teams now stand little chance in tournaments like the Sweet 16, as bigger programs with access to substantial NIL funds are dominating.

Reflecting on his own coaching days at the University of Detroit, Vitale painted a grim picture of what might have happened if NIL existed back then. He speculated that his top players—who helped him win 21 consecutive games and defeat national powerhouses like Marquette and Arizona—would likely have transferred to larger programs with deeper pockets. "We could never ever have the dollars to pay them," he lamented, calling the current situation a "major problem."