NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� With legal disputes escalating over the use of name, image and likeness compensation in the recruitment of college athletes, Hall of Fame basketball coach Rick Pitino believes it’s time for the NCAA to stand down when it comes to policing member schools.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a very difficult time in college basketball, because it鈥檚 free agency. And now I think what鈥檚 going to happen is, they鈥檙e going to say everybody can transfer, and then if they don鈥檛 like it, they鈥檙e going to take 鈥榚m to court,” the first-year St. John’s coach said Saturday.
鈥淪o, I think the NCAA enforcement staff just should be disbanded. It鈥檚 a joke. Not because I dislike them. But, they鈥檙e of no value anymore. Because just, Tennessee now will take 鈥榚m to court, Virginia will take 鈥檈m to court 鈥︹��
on Wednesday that challenged its ban on the use of NIL compensation in recruiting, and in response to the association鈥檚 investigation of the University of Tennessee.
A judge will that would put on hold NCAA rules banning recruiting inducements and pay-for-play, the court posted Friday.
The volunteered his thoughts on the NCAA following at Madison Square Garden. His comments came at the postgame news conference in response to a reporter’s question about stoking a renewed rivalry with the powerhouse Huskies, the defending national champions, as he rebuilds the St. John’s program.
鈥淭he enforcement staff needs to go away,鈥� Pitino continued. “We need to stop all the hypocrisy of NIL. We need to stop it. Because they can鈥檛 stop it. Whether I鈥檓 for it or against it doesn鈥檛 matter.
鈥淭hey are professional athletes. Get professionally paid. It鈥檚 not going away. You can鈥檛 try to get loopholes, because they take you to court. That鈥檚 why I say 鈥� so I鈥榤 not knocking the enforcement staff 鈥� they鈥檙e going to get taken to court every time they try to make a rule. So it鈥檚 a tough time in college basketball right now. And for us, you can鈥檛 really build programs and a culture because everybody leaves.”
Pitino, who won national championships at Kentucky in 1996 and Louisville in 2013, has had his own history of run-ins with the NCAA.
The title at Louisville was and another NCAA case related to the FBI鈥檚 investigation into corruption in college basketball recruiting led to him being fired by Louisville in 2017.
from the NCAA鈥檚 outside enforcement arm on the FBI case came down in November 2022 and exonerated Pitino.
After Pitino brought in 12 new players for this season 鈥� including 10 transfers. But he said the current college landscape involving NIL and the transfer portal makes it 鈥渧ery tough鈥� to build a consistent culture at a high-level program.
鈥淚 think so many football coaches are getting out, so many basketball coaches are getting out, because of this culture,” Pitino said. “It鈥檚 tough to build a program. You鈥檝e got to really innovate, get creative and understand these rules right now 鈥� or lack of rules.鈥�
___
AP college basketball: and
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
