"The current scene is out of control": Dick Vitale urges college sports overhaul, calls for Coach K and Nick Saban as chaos-fighting commissioners

Dick Vitale shared his two cents on the recently unfolded Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) chaos around Flordia State's coach Leonard Hamilton, citing that coaching legends like Mike Krzyzewski and Nick Saban need to be placed in authoritative roles.

Hamilton was accused of unfulfilled monetary promises in the lawsuit filed in Florida’s Leon County circuit court on Monday by six Seminoles players. Josh Nickelberry, Darin Green Jr., Cam’Ron Fletcher, Primo Spears, Jalen Warley, and De’Ante Green claim that Hamilton failed to meet his promise of delivering them $250,000 in NIL compensation upon joining his roster.

The unique case highlights the complexities and challenges of NIL, a concept that is still very young. With that, Vitale proposes that Saban and Coach K should be coronated as commissioners of football and basketball.

"CHAOS & the wild Wild West scene is wacky in college - look I feel players deserve $$ $ for certain situations like appearances etc but the current scene is out of control .ZERO rules - make Coach K & Nick Saban Commissioner’s of hoops & football !" Vitale wrote in an X post.

Saban was in the college football circuit for over 25 years, while Coach K led Duke basketball for 42 years. Vitale makes a commendable case by vouching for both former coaches as they are known for a holistic approach to their coaching, aiming at the overall betterment of their players.

What are Nick Saban and Coach K's views on NIL?

Even though they have certain reservations about NIL, both coaches believe in compensating players for their hard work and efforts. They believe that the only loose end with NIL is the way it is being implemented and its consequences.

"There’s no transparency at all, and the NCAA has really not done a great job in this," Coach K told Fox News in October. "... So, you need the leadership, I think, of the power-four conferences, their commissioners, more than the NCAA. I think there has to be a new model, and I think those commissioners are the ones that have to come together to figure this out."

"How would you feel if you gave $500,000 to your program, and it was to pay certain players, and those players all left after one year?" Saban said on ESPN's Pat McAfee's podcast earlier this month. "You would say, 'I don’t know if I’m going to continue to do this.'"

Saban has previously addressed the disparity that schools with lower financial backing can face as NIL becomes more prominent in players' commitment decisions. Krzyzewski has claimed that the concept works against the nature of college basketball, which has been about culture for the longest time.