Just because a public figure says something, that doesn’t mean it is automatically true. However, when a public figure such as the coach of UCLA men’s basketball speaks, every word he says is going to be noticed and picked apart. If the coach chooses to say something in public, he is doing it for a reason. He is doing it because he knows he wants to get a certain reaction and create an intended effect or response.
UCLA men’s basketball coach Mick Cronin certainly appears to be expressing his frustration with the Bruins’ NIL operation. He is very clearly suggesting and implying that UCLA is being outspent for top transfer portal prospects. This is an indirect reference to the reality that UCLA is working with a young, inexperienced and — let’s all admit it — not very good team this season.
Cronin’s remarks drew a lot of attention (as intended). He was responding to a question from UCLA beat writer Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times:
I asked Mick Cronin if a loss like this makes him question roster construction and he said, alluding to NIL challenges: "We did what we could do. Is your question, ‘Did we try to get older transfers?’ Absolutely. So did the Reds, but the Dodgers get them."
— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) December 20, 2023
Cronin used to coach at Cincinnati, so maybe his reference to the “Reds” is that UCLA is uncomfortably close to Cincinnati here instead of acting like a true heavyweight in NIL competitions for elite transfer prospects.
Whether you believe Cronin or not, it’s clear that UCLA’s NIL operation is not delivering elite results, much as USC football’s NIL setup is not winning battles against Phil Knight and the Oregon Ducks. It’s quite a story in college sports.
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