Hall of Famer Charles Barkley is one of the most vocal critics of the Name, Image, and Likeness in college sports, repeatedly calling for rules to regulate NIL deals because the current system has turned into a bidding war that is hurting college sports more than it helps.
But while Barkley has called out the overall college athletics scene, the 1993 NBA MVP thinks that it is worse in basketball than football because of the one-and-done rule.
It's different in football because of NFL rules.
"And see, in basketball, to me, it's a little bit worse than football, to be honest with you, because at least in football, if I pay a guy, I get him for three years. If I give a guy 5,6,7 million dollars, he's going to be on campus for six months," said Barkley.
The NBA's current draft eligibility rule is for players to be at least one year removed from their high school graduating class before they can apply for the NBA Draft. Because of that, most kids commit to colleges and play only one year, hence one-and-done, then apply for the draft.
The NFL requires players to be three years removed from high school, but they don't need to play three years of college football. This means that if a sponsor is paying for an NIL deal, the company can have the player for three years, whereas in basketball, that one season is less than one calendar year.
Sir Charles went on to say that the perfect example of this difference between the NBA and NFL is the top pick of the 2026 NBA Draft, AJ Dybantsa , who was selected by the Washington Wizards No. 1 overall in last June's draft.
Among his many suitors, AJ chose BYU for the $7 million NIL deal awaiting him there. But while Dybantsa got the bag, Barkley argued that the sponsors did not get their money's worth with him.
"Like AJ Dybantsa, the rumor was he got like $7 million to go to BYU, and I wish him nothing but the best in the future. But I'm not even sure they won a game in the NCAA tournament last year. So to give a guy $7 million not to win a game in the tournament and then he's gone after one year, I don't see my return on investment in that," Barkley added.
Last week, while explaining his stance on the PCSA, "The Next Round" show, the NBA legend also explained why he wants to put a salary cap scheme on the NIL because this system of going to the school with the best offer does not promote loyalty and will soon reach a point where it becomes no longer sustainable.
"I hate where college sports is right now, where you just go to the highest bidder," said Barkley. "There's no loyalty. You get to be a free agent every year. I don't like it at all."
"I'm not against players making money, but the model we have now is unsustainable. If you spend $20 million this year, next year it's going to be $25 million, the next year it's going to be $30 million. It's just impossible the way it's going now," he continued.
Right now, the best bet to regulate NIL in college sports is the PCSA, or Protect College Sports Act, which recently got the nod from the Senate and is now up for a vote in the House.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Oct 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the College section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
