Rick Pitino Calls for Elimination of NCAA's NIL Rule

Rick Pitino, coach of the St. John's men's basketball team, expressed his concern about the challenges faced by college basketball due to free agency and the Name, Image & Likeness era after the team's recent loss to UConn. He argued that the NCAA's enforcement staff should be disbanded. Pitino highlighted the impact of NIL and transfer portal rules on the ability to build programs and culture. The NCAA is currently facing an antitrust lawsuit from the attorneys general of Tennessee and Virginia over the use of NIL compensation in recruiting. Pitino also emphasized the difficulty of building a program under current rules and concerns about the future of college basketball.