‘It’s all transactional.’ Legendary coach blasts college athletics

College sports are in a strange spot right now, and college basketball has become the latest flashpoint as eligibility battles between players and the NCAA dominate the headlines.

The most notable case is Alabama center Charles Bediako, who joined the Crimson Tide halfway through the season after spending multiple years in the NBA G League. His status has become a week‑to‑week spectacle, with each court appearance drawing national attention.

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The latest ruling deemed him ineligible for the remainder of the season. And if not for the earning potential tied to NIL, there’s a strong argument that Bediako never would have returned to college basketball at all — he likely would have pursued opportunities overseas instead.

No matter where you fall on the state of college athletics, it’s clear something has to change. The most logical starting point is a universal eligibility checklist for each sport. Right now, the system is a patchwork of one‑off lawsuits, international exceptions, and inconsistent rulings that make the entire process feel arbitrary.

The second major issue is the transfer environment. Before NIL, giving players more mobility and immediate eligibility made sense. Coaches could leave at any moment, and players deserved protection. But now, with the offseason functioning as a de facto free‑agency period, it’s understandable that universities want more control over their “investment.” As uncomfortable as that sounds, it’s already happening — schools have begun suing players who leave after signing NIL deals.

What’s getting lost in all of this is the original purpose of these institutions. They are supposed to be places of higher education first, with athletics second. That’s why academic standards exist in the first place. Legendary Houston coach Kelvin Sampson captured the frustration perfectly when discussing the current landscape:

“…there is nothing educational about college basketball right now. It’s all transactional.”

And he’s not wrong. Programs across the country — including Texas A&M, which has navigated its own roster churn and NIL‑driven decisions — are feeling the effects of a system that changes by the month.

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Where college sports go from here is anyone’s guess. What we do know is that the money will keep flowing, the athletes will keep getting paid, and the NCAA will continue fighting for relevance in a world it no longer fully controls.

You can see Coach Sampson’s full comments below.