New NIL Era Ready To Be Tested With College Basketball Transfer Portal, Before The College Football Madness

Thanks to the transfer portal opening, March madness in college basketball is not only going to play out on the court over the upcoming 45 days.

Starting on March 18th, which is the day after Selection Sunday, college basketball players can enter the portal, which will stay open for 45 days, when it closes on May 1st. Given what we've seen around the college football landscape over the last few months when it comes to NIL, this will certainly be a test-case for athletes looking to cash-in on their ability and likeness. 

Outside of NIL, the college basketball transfer portal will also have a new rule attached to it. An injunction filed in December against the NCAA will allow multi-year transfers to once again look for a new home. This will last through the Spring portal period and has the chance to cause ripple-effects in the sport. 

But, outside the players being able to transfer multiple times, we are about to get a clear picture of how NIL will look after recent changes to NCAA guardrails. Thanks to a lawsuit filed by the Attorneys General for Tennessee and Virginia, with a judge granting an injunction, collectives now have the ability to speak directly about how much an athlete will make if he decides to enroll at one school over the other. 

During the 2022-2023 portal cycle, more than 1,800 players entered their names into the database. While some found homes at power-five schools, others were leaving power-5 schools for the mid-majors. Just like in football, we've seen a growing trend of players leaving high-profile schools to seek more playing time, even if this means going from the SEC to the OVC. 

Now, when it comes to some of these bigger names that will surprise folks by entering the portal, agents will not have a problem using multiple schools against each other in this era of NIL, when offers can now legally be presented without the risk of an NCAA violation. 

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 12: Hunter Dickinson #1 of the Kansas Jayhawks is introduced before the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at United Supermarkets Arena on February 12, 2024 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)

A so-called ‘bidding war’ will take place for these athletes, with some agents already putting out feelers to teams, even though the season is still ongoing, and the NCAA Tournament hasn't started. One of the most intriguing things to watch over the next few weeks are the players that will not be playing in the upcoming tournament. 

In all reality, those players will have a head start to test how this new era will play out. For the athletes participating in the NCAA Tournament, they will have to wait until they are eliminated, or they can go ahead and enter the portal if they aren't happy with their playing time. 

Coaches Are About To Pull Double-Duty During NCAA Tournament 

If you are a coach that is also preparing for the upcoming tournament, life is about to get hectic. Not only are these coaches scouting their opponent, but they will need to pay close attention to which players enter the portal. In case you were wondering, yes, these basketball programs have staffers whose main job is to refresh the portal page to see who has entered. They know exactly what their coaches are looking for, and can easily relay the message. 

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - FEBRUARY 28: Dalton Knecht #3 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates a three-point basket against the Auburn Tigers in the second half at Thompson-Boling Arena on February 28, 2024 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

But that doesn't mean life gets any easier for the assistant coaches. Having to juggle a conversation with a potential transfer while preparing for the biggest tournament of their lives is no easy task, but that's exactly what they signed up for in this new era. 

We have already seen a number of players from lower-tier schools file the paperwork to enter the portal, but taking visits and negotiating with teams will need to wait until Monday, if they are playing by the rules. 

But let's be honest, a decent number of players have already made it clear through their agents, runners, high school coaches or AAU coaches that they are looking to move-on from their current team. So, if you think conversations with high-profile athletes haven't already occurred, you aren't paying attention to reality. 

New NIL Rules Will Get Their First Test With College Basketball

Here we go, it's time to find out how this new NIL era will play off the football field. We have seen a number of players in the past few years negotiate deals that have netted in the high six-figures, and received more when they stepped foot on campus. 

So, with the NCAA deciding that they would not continue investigating teams for potential NIL infractions, it's open season when it comes to high-dollar contracts for players that carry weight in terms of their likeness. Yes, there will be a few transfers that catch us off-guard, especially if some teams are willing to pay the price. 

But there is also the point of contention about how teams will transform their rosters with NIL. A majority of mid-major teams can't afford to keep their roster together if bigger schools are looking to add prolific scorers or defenders. Simply put, they can't afford to match an offer, though we've seen players looking for a bigger stage, not just a bigger paycheck. 

This portal period should be a great example of how the college football portal will be used when it comes to NIL contracts. How much are these collectives willing to spend? We're about to find out, and the college basketball portal is a perfect way to test the new system. 

Let the bidding wars begin, and the roster turnover commence.