The impact of NIL and the one and done rule on college basketball

How Will No More "One and Done" Impact College Basketball?

There is no question that the "one and done" rule has been the subject of significant controversy in college basketball.  The "one and done" rule requires players to play one year of college basketball before they are eligible to be drafted by the NBA.

On Sept 19th 2022, it was reported by Shams Charinia of "The Atlantic" that the NBA and NBPA are expected to reduce the draft eligibility age from 19 to 18.   As a result, players would be eligible for the NBA draft after finishing high school. 

Now that high school prospects can go on to bypass college and take a hit, there is no doubt that college basketball will take a hit.  For the first time in 16 years, there will be a significant chance that the top high school prospects will not play in an NCAA college basketball game. 

Thus, major NCAA network partners such as CBS, ESPN may lose the opportunity to feature a prominent player like Pablo Banchero in a big-time college game. Major  College programs such as Kentucky and Duke have gotten a lot of "one and done" players in hopes of increasing their NCAA championship title hopes.  It will be a little harder to get access to those top prospects now that the NBA is a plausible option. 

However, college basketball will undoubtedly when it comes to the integrity of the college game. The elimination of the one and done rule will increase the likelihood of players who are committed to a college program for a good amount of time as opposed to just one year. 

How will the NIL Rule Impact College Basketball?

The NIL rule has changed college basketball due to the fact that this has caused a major shift in the power dynamics between the NCAA and it's players. 

For years, the NCAA had complete control of the player's identity and likeness.  Players weren't allowed to profit off of their identity and likeness at all.  They weren't allowed to make money on things such as endorsement deals, social media, personal appearances.  They could not get paid for autographs. 

It's been the subject of much dissension for years among players.  In 1995, UCLA great Ed O'Bannon was the lead plantiff in a lawsuit against the NCAA on behalf of Division I football and basketball athletes for using images and likeness for commercial purposes without permission. 

The NIL will also lead to a lot of roster turnover amongst college basketball programs.  

Due to the increased power and lucrativeness that college basketball athletes will have as a result of the NIL, many athletes will not hesitate to leave a college basketball program for another program with better surroundings that could allow him or her to maximize monetization.

Now that student-athletes can monetize off of their name, image and likeness, college basketball athletes have a greater amount of personal power now.  The proverbial stranglehold that the NCAA has had over the players with regards to this issue is now loosened.