Armando Bacot after a memorable run to the NCAA championship game to chase a professional playing career. , an All-American star of one of the nation鈥檚 top programs.
No, business is already good for men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 college basketball players able to cash in on their fame now.
The option to remain in school is more enticing than ever since the NCAA permitted college athletes to profit from use of their name, image and likeness in summer 2021.
鈥淚t definitely is a factor, definitely something that helped,鈥� said Timme, a two-time Associated Press second-team All-American and a preseason pick this year. 鈥淚f you look across the landscape of not only college basketball, but all college sports, it鈥檚 a big reason a lot of people are inclined to come back."
That鈥檚 particularly true on the women鈥檚 side, where NIL deals and chartered travel offer more appeal than rookie salaries and in the WNBA.
The women's game has seen stars like 小蓝视频icut's Paige Bueckers 鈥� 鈥� and Iowa State鈥檚 Ashley Joens opt to stick around. Other prominent names like Louisville鈥檚 Hailey Van Lith and North Carolina鈥檚 Deja Kelly soon face choices; they become draft eligible by turning 22 next year.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e an influencer, especially as a student-athlete in college, and that鈥檚 your appeal for NIL, you鈥檙e going to want to stay in college because that鈥檚 how you鈥檙e going to make your money,鈥� Van Lith said. 鈥淏ut I think when it comes to people who are going to pursue professional (playing) careers, I don鈥檛 know if it鈥檒l make much of a change.鈥�
Deals have come fast from businesses seeking the most marketable of athletes, many of whom have hired agents to manage those opportunities. have looked for ways to partner with an athletes to tap into local notoriety. National companies have done it with social-media promotions or ads.
Athletes are given wide latitude provided they provide some type of service in exchange for compensation. While deal terms aren鈥檛 public, they鈥檙e estimated to be in some cases six figures or more 鈥� with some of the most well-known athletes even pushing past million-dollar projections.
鈥淭he difference in college sports, and we鈥檝e seen this time and again, is: do they follow individuals?鈥� said , a sports and entertainment marketing consultant. 鈥淜ind of. But they really follow the school.
鈥淪o there are people investing in Duke or North Carolina or Notre Dame because that鈥檚 part of the school. So if you go from St. John鈥檚 and transfer to Villanova, does that mean all the brand equity is going to come along with you? Maybe not.鈥�
Favorito added: 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the challenge of college athletics. It鈥檚 much more about community and the collective than it is about individuals sometimes.鈥�
Yet that also explains why there's value in sticking around to stay tied to the college's brand, especially in the annual spotlight of March Madness.
On the women鈥檚 side, Bueckers鈥� partnerships . Van Lith has deals with , Dick鈥檚 Sporting Goods and JCPenney 鈥� which led to . Kelly's partnerships include and 鈥� even presenting her team 鈥� and she for .
鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of just taking that (NIL) into consideration as far as I definitely do want to play professionally,鈥� Kelly said. "But it鈥檚 just seeing what the best option is as far as what鈥檚 going to set me up best successfully, financially in that moment. So I guess we鈥檒l talk about it when the time comes.鈥�
Joens, a preseason AP All-American, returned to Iowa State instead of entering the WNBA draft. While NIL money and chartered flights factored into her decision, the biggest motivator was getting her finishing her graduation requirements this fall.
鈥淚t was a long process and I went back and forth,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think about it much last year because you鈥檙e focused on the season. I talked to my family a little more and they said what鈥檚 more important to you right now? I knew being able to graduate and have a degree was a big.鈥�
Dynamics differ on the men鈥檚 side with players eligible for the NBA draft at age 19. There's also the fact that big men who formerly were surefire first-round draft picks have seen their value slide as the pro game evolves to more floor spacing and 3-point shooting.
Neither Bacot nor Timme were considered first-round prospects. Nor was Kentucky big man Oscar Tsheibwe, last year鈥檚 AP national men鈥檚 player of the year. All three are back in college and making money from NIL partnerships, notably .
And then there鈥檚 Bacot. The 6-foot-11 fourth-year center suffered a bad ankle sprain in the Final Four and , so he wouldn't have been healthy enough for NBA pre-draft workouts.
But NIL mattered, too.
The preseason AP all-American's long endorsement list includes local outlets such as having and helping the local .
Expanding beyond North Carolina, Bacot partnered with and 鈥� which ultimately had him travel .
鈥淏ecause of the success we had at the end of the year and me, just having a pretty big name in college, it allowed me to leverage that and capitalize on those big opportunities,鈥� Bacot said. 鈥淚t definitely was something that weighed into coming back.鈥�
And Bacot's not done. Over the summer, he filmed a role in the upcoming season of Netflix鈥檚 鈥淥uter Banks,鈥� a teen adventure series set on the coast of the Carolinas.
The only problem? His summer practice schedule interfered with filming dates, prompting him to joke that Netflix was 鈥減robably pissed at me鈥� and might write him out of the show.
If he sticks around long enough, he even might get his own IMDB page.
Not a bad haul for sticking around to play for the preseason No. 1-ranked team.
鈥淚t allowed me to know I have some security and I had a little money, which is better than having no money,鈥� he quipped. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 great.鈥�
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AP Basketball Writer John Marshall in Phoenix contributed to this report.
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Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap
Aaron Beard And Doug Feinberg, The Associated Press
