Rick Pitino Just Saved College Basketball - Thinks The Sport Should Have A Salary Cap, Major Conferences Can't Spend Over $2 Million On Players

I'm pretty excited to see Rick Pitino tweet like it's Creed Thoughts here. I don't understand how people keep thinking there needs to be a salary cap. 1) Do you not think people will get paid under the table like they have since the beginning of the NCAA? 2) There's always been a gap and advantage for bigger schools. Whether it's facilities, TV time, living arrangements, whatever. There's always been the haves and have nots, welcome to college sports. 

Not sure exactly what a salary cap would do here. Nobody should give a shit what people are getting paid to go to a college. If they are good, they get more money. If they aren't, they don't get paid. Pretty simple here. I know part of this is because Rick knows St. John's doesn't have the NIL power as some others, but come on. You have a team full of transfers. You're in the Big East. You're on the best coaches we've ever had in this sport. A salary cap won't change anything.

You want to know what will happen? The best recruits will still go to Kentucky, Kansas, Duke, UNC, UConn. Some mid-major will make a run in the NCAA Tournament and win over America. We'll argue about how teams bought players regardless of a salary cap or not. Rinse and repeat because, again, this is just how college sports work. Always have been that way and always will be that way. 

I know people like to complain about NIL, but guess what? It's keeping guys in college an extra year. In the past a lot of these 2nd round guys or fringe guys just leave and try to make it in the pros somewhere. NIL allows guys to come back and that's step 1 for anyone old enough to remember how everyone was a 3-year or 4-year guy. Trying to put a salary cap where you still give more money to the power 6 conferences won't work. The MWC, the American, the A-10, etc will all complain that it's not fair, even though college sports have never been fair. 

I'm out on a salary cap. Get your team, win games. Doesn't matter how many 'good' players you have, you still have to win. Trust me, I know how that goes. Can't wait to see Rick Pitino's next plan.