Jay Bilas raves about the impact of NIL on college basketball: 'I don't think it's ever been better'

Dick Vitale talked about the current state of college basketball with NIL and the transfer portal during a recent appearance on OutKick's "Don't @ Me with Dan Dakich."

NIL has been a fixture in college basketball for years now, and ESPN broadcaster Jay Bilas said the sport has never been better.

Bilas, 62, said that NIL has allowed players to be compensated while also staying in school longer.

"I don't think it's ever been better. The players are better than they've ever been. We're seeing now because of NIL, because of player compensation, the players are staying in school longer than they did in prior years," Bilas told Fox News Digital.

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ESPN "College GameDay" host Jay Bilas prepares to broadcast ahead of the game between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., on Feb. 1, 2025. (Lance King/Getty Images)

"That's more years of service for college teams out of players than they used to get. And I think it's reflected in a higher level of play. And for those who say that ‘Hey, you know, players should stay in school,’ they're staying in school to further their educations and make money while they're doing it."

Bilas said that if a musician, author or actor were making money while getting an education they would be praised. The former Duke star added that NIL has allowed talent to spread out more and cited Indiana as an example.

"I think it's been nothing but good for the sport. We've seen talent spread out more and look, I'm not a football guy. I like watching football, but I wouldn't consider myself in the expert category, but I find it hard to believe that Indiana could win a national championship under the old