“It’s legal for me to say, ‘I’ll give you $500,000 to come play for me”: When $18-million worth Geno Auriemma pinpointed shortcomings of NIL

UConn women's college basketball coach Geno Auriemma criticized the loopholes in the Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) rules, claiming that it is now legal to pay college prospects to represent a team.

The 11-time national champion made these comments during the "Aspen Ideas Festival" hosted by NBC News, and the discussion was posted on the network's YouTube page on June 27, 2024.

The UConn coach, whose net worth is $18 million according to Celebrity Net Worth, described NIL deals as a way for coaches and schools to take advantage of financially disadvantaged players to secure their commitment to the team.

"It's legal for me to say I'll give you $500,000 to come play for me," Auriemma said (17:51).

According to the NCAA, NIL provides student-athletes with the opportunity to receive compensation from third parties using their brand. The league supports these opportunities and has introduced a platform called NIL Assist to help players understand and make informed decisions about NIL.

However, Auriemma is critical of the lack of binding contracts for players who commit to a team, which would hold them legally responsible for their actions during and after their time in school.

He emphasized that while he supports student-athletes getting paid for their efforts in various sports competitions, he believes that coaches may have inadvertently committed violations without facing consequences due to NIL deals.

As the winningest NCAA basketball coach of all time, Auriemma called for guidelines to regulate NIL dealings among the various programs in the NCAA's three divisions.

---

Geno Auriemma impressed with Marquette forward Skylar Forbes

UConn coach Geno Auriemma praised an opposing team's forward for being the standout player despite her team's 32-point loss to the Huskies.

Auriemma was referring to Marquette sophomore forward Skylar Forbes, who continued her breakout season on New Year's Day by scoring 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting (2-of-7 from beyond the arc) and 6-of-8 from the free-throw line.

He even admitted he had a difficult time figuring out the 6-foot-3 star, who effectively made her shots both in the paint and from the perimeter.

"Going into the game it was how we were going to guard when she was in the lane, and our bigger lineup I thought would help us do that. But she's just as comfortable out on the perimeter," Auriemma said of Forbes (per Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).

"If you put somebody (on her) that's not mobile, she's going to cause problems out on the perimeter. And her footwork is really good inside," he added.

UConn allowed Forbes to do her damage on the field, but they effectively shut down her teammates and secured a commanding 77-45 victory. The win improved the Huskies' record to 12-2. Next, they will face Villanova on Sunday at the Finneran Pavilion in Villanova, Pennsylvania.