Duke University basketball legend Christian Laettner doesn’t like name, image and likeness deals in college sports.
Laettner was a star player for the Blue Devils when the NIL was not a consideration.
But in recent years, college athletes have been able to make money for themselves, creating a pay-for-play system that many consider unmanageable.
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Duke’s Christian Laettner during the 1991 game against UNLV. (Manny Milan/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
It’s no secret that college athletes flock to big-time programs to make the most money, and athletes sometimes transfer from school to school.
It’s a dramatic change from when Laettner was famous in the early 1990s.
“They have to eliminate the NIL. They have to wipe it out,” Letner told ESPN Radio’s Mike Greenberg on the 32nd anniversary of the famous game-winning jumper. “They have to change the transfer portal. I know everyone is saying the horse is out of the barn, you can’t take things back, but what kind of culture can you establish in the school when new students come in? “I wonder if the kids do it every year?”
Duke’s Christian Laettner shoots a layup against UConn on March 22, 1991 in Pontiac, Michigan. (Richard Maxon/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
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“So every year at Duke is like a freshman, and once you’re in one system, one program, one coach, one clearly defined culture, your junior and senior years… I mean it’s going to get a lot better. … I don’t think so.” I don’t know how coaches are doing in today’s game and that’s why some of the better coaches are starting to quit.”
Laettner may be referring to Nick Saban, who retired earlier this year. But Saban was adamant that the NIL was not the reason for his retirement.
Saban fully supports the NIL, but he wants a “collective-driven” system.
Former Duke basketball player Christian Laettner attends the Duke vs. North Carolina Tar Heels game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 5, 2022 in Durham, North Carolina. (Lance King/Getty Images)
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“I think there needs to be equality across the board so that schools with more money to spend can’t create an advantage for themselves just because they can spend more money. But I think I’m all for student-athletes. I want students.’Athletes deserve the best quality of life,” Saban told Bret Bayer earlier this month.
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