"Celebrating exploitation of have-nots": Jason Whitlock claps back at Colin Cowherd's NIL claims 

Jason Whitlock is not a fan of the NIL era in college athletics. During Wednesday's episode of "Fearless with Jason Whitlock," he pushed back against Colin Cowherd’s claims that NIL is beneficial for college basketball.

Whitlock reacted to a clip of Cowherd praising NIL, arguing that America prefers watching powerhouse programs such as Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan State and Arizona over lesser-known schools like Drexel, Lipscomb and Wofford. He strongly disagreed with Cowherd’s stance.

"This is the worldview disconnect between me and Colin Cowherd, and I'm not trying to beat up on Colin, but I'm just keeping it real," Whitlock said (Timestamp 0:14). "The guys are, 'Hey, the rich get richer, and they steal from the have-nots. This is a good thing. Don't you love it?'"

"And again, this connects to my entire argument. Look what they're doing to American culture. We're celebrating the exploitation of the have-nots and the little guys. This is a good thing. Unbelievable."

Whitlock took issue with Cowherd’s support for powerhouse programs thriving in the NIL era, arguing that the underdog narrative has long been central to sports.

"Every coach goes, 'Hey, guys, we don't have as much talent as them. We don't have the facilities that they have. We don't blah, blah, blah. But if we stick together and do these things.' That's always been the story of sports that we celebrate," Whitlock said (Timestamp 2:26)."

"And I'm listening to one of the most influential people in sports media say, 'No, this is actually better. The rich are getting richer, and we're taking from the have-nots.' My mind is blown."

No Cinderella runs in NIL era as major-conference teams dominate 2025 March Madness

There is no question that the balance of power has shifted toward powerhouse programs in the NIL era. That trend has been evident in this year's NCAA tournament, as no team seeded No. 11 or lower reached the Sweet 16 — marking the first time that has happened since 2007.

Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (#2) and guard Tyrese Proctor (#5) during a practice session in preparation for their upcoming East Regional semifinal game in the 2025 NCAA Tournament against the Arizona Wildcats at Prudential Center. Photo: Imagn

This year's Sweet 16 features only teams from major conferences (ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and SEC), the first time that has occurred since the round was introduced in 1975.