"Because making all this money on these kids and not educating them is a travesty" - When Charles Barkley slammed the NCAA's $11B industry for failing student-athletes originally appeared on Basketball Network .
These days, the fans can hear a lot about NIL deals. It's a concept in which players can finally make some money off their name, image, and likeness. And while it's a step (multiple ones) in the right direction, it's not like it fixed everything overnight. College sports, especially March Madness, are still a billion-dollar business where the ones putting on the show, the players, who, by the way, are getting better with each passing year, don't always see a fair share.
You can ask Charles Barkley that. He was just as eccentric on the court during his playing days as he is nowadays as an analyst. Barkley will never be the one to sugarcoat things; he will make sure to speak his mind, even though it could ruffle some feathers along the way.
The Hall of Famer has always been about keeping it real, and when it comes to the NCAA business, he doesn't mince words. Back in 2014, when the NCAA tournament's massive payday made headlines, Barkley had seen enough.
"The system is broken. The system is broken…" Barkley said with frustration all over his face. "My biggest problem with the NCAA is graduation rates. It's not really fair for these people to make all this money. And these kids aren't going to get their degree. I mean, you know, we just paid $11 billion for the NCAA tournament… We gave them $11 billion, and those kids not getting any of that money."
The NCAA tournament is one of the biggest money makers in sports. Networks pay enormous amounts to broadcast it. Schools rake in cash. Sponsors line up for a piece of the money cake. And the players? For decades, they played for pride, a shot at the NBA, and maybe a scholarship that didn't always turn into a degree. And that's where Chuck could never be quiet.
"That's my problem with the NCAA," Sir Charles continued. "Like a lot of guys I went to school with didn't get their degree. And now their life has been a total, a train wreck. And if you don't get a college degree or after four years, five years, whatever it takes, your life, you're fighting an uphill battle."
Barkley isn't just pointing fingers; he's speaking from his personal experience. He's seen teammates and friends who gave everything to their sport, only to be left with nothing when the cheering stopped. While schools and the NCAA were counting their billions, too many athletes were left trying to figure out their next move without the tools they were promised.
"Because making all this money on these kids and not educating them is a travesty," the Round Mound of Rebound concluded later in the interview.
Even now, with NIL deals letting players earn, Barkley's point still stands for the majority. Sure, the money's nice and the exposure these hoopers get early on is great. But when a promising (or not so much) youngster doesn't go pro, and doesn't get a shot at the professional league, whether NBA or somewhere overseas, they are in trouble, according to Chuck.
Because when the lights go out and the fans go home, what's left? Without that degree, without that foundation, the uphill battle Barkley talked about becomes all too real.
Chuck knows money still runs things, but he wants to make sure the value of education is still there. Because at the end of the day, not every kid makes it to the league.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
