Mid-major basketball coaches come to terms with new era of NIL, transfer portal and tampering

CEDAR FALLS — It’s not entirely new, but ever since the introduction of Name, Image and Likeness rights to college athletics the tampering and pay-to-play that goes on behind the scenes has accelerated.

That acceleration has specifically impacted non-Power 5 programs, such as the 12 in the Missouri Valley Conference.

The MVC held its annual summer men’s basketball teleconference Tuesday and the challenge of maintaining and building programs in this relatively new environment was a popular topic.

In a recent interview with The Gazette, Northern Iowa Coach Ben Jacobson candidly explained what’s happening to his mid-major peers.

“... (You) get to the spring and then go recruit guys off of teams. Just go blatantly recruit them,” Jacobson said. “That recruiting starts during the season. There are coaches and programs that are actively recruiting players off your own team.

“I don’t have specific examples from our team, I’m talking generally across the country (the) stories you hear (and) people you talk to, and that’s not right. That’s a byproduct of what’s happened and not having some guardrails on it.”

Jacobson also made sure to point out the positives that have come in college athletics’ new environment.

He likes that student-athletes have the opportunity to make money and spoke highly of “The Panther Collective” that’s been established to not only financially support his program, but also make a concerted effort to have his players be active in the community and mentor area youth.

But the negatives of the new era are undoubtedly making it difficult for non-Power 5 programs to keep their best talent on campus.

Collectives are playing a large role in that pursuit, as is providing better facilities, nutrition and other accouterments.

“I don’t think there’s a real big talk about changing (NIL). It is, kinda what it is,” Bradley Coach Brian Wardle said Tuesday. “The tampering has (been going on). The money is a big difference now. Honestly, what we try to create here at Bradley is a great experience as a student-athlete.

“If that experience and family feel isn’t enough for a young man and he wants to experience something else, so be it. I wish him the best. I’m not a coach that’s going to beg anyone to stay here or come here.”

Interestingly, Wardle wasn’t alone in that approach. Instead, the prevailing strategy was to build and demonstrate a program and culture that players wouldn’t want to consider leaving.

Second-year Illinois State coach Ryan Pedon said it’s best to control what you can control in the new environment that’s all but legalized tampering.

“I can give you a philosophical answer and tell you how much I don’t think it’s good for the game, but the reality is — like any of our walks of life — the rules change,” Pedon said. “You’re not going to keep everybody. So you’ve got to be able to stick and move as a coach. I think the skill set of successful coaches in this era is inherently different than it was 10 years ago. I’m not going to coach around being worried that guys will transfer.”