The chaos surrounding NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals has hit college basketball like a storm, disrupting the delicate balance between players, coaches, and programs. What was once a straightforward system of recruitment and development has now turned into a high-stakes game of financial maneuvering. Coaches are scrambling to retain talent while players navigate newfound autonomy and wealth. Even college basketball powerhouses have felt the effects of the changes—including Duke head coach Jon Scheyer.

This year, the Blue Devils faced a surprising challenge of their own when Assistant Coach Jai Lucas departed mid-postseason to take the head coaching position at Miami. The move exemplified the turbulence imposed by the NIL and transfer portal. Scheyer didn’t sugarcoat it when asked about Lucas’s departure.

“Timing is… not ideal,” he said, though he quickly pointed out that there was no choice, given the way things have changed in college sports. And that’s where the real issue lies: College basketball is no longer the sport we remember, where players stayed loyal to programs and coaches could rely on stability. The floodgates have opened, and NIL deals are making every season feel like a high-stakes game.

But Jon Scheyer’s not the only one grappling with this new reality. Scott Drew, who led Baylor to an NCAA championship just a few years ago, shared his own frustrations about the shifting landscape. “Well, I think, uh, first, as your staff changes—and we’ve had several coaches leave and become head coaches—you, as a head coach, have to fill the gaps. I mean, when we had a staff that had worked together for so many years, Coach Tang and I for 19 years, I didn’t need to say things; he just got them done.” Drew explained.

Now, with a new team in place, things are different. “As a new staff, you’ve got to say, ‘Hey, did you do this?’ or ‘I forgot to tell you, so I have to do it.’ So, there’s just a lot more staff communication required.” The familiarity that once made everything run smoothly is now a distant memory for Drew—and for many others in the coaching world.

Interestingly, the issue isn’t just about losing key staff members; it’s about the never-ending pressure to recruit and retain talent in an environment where financial offers are always on the table. The pressure’s so intense that, even mid-season, players are getting calls encouraging them to leave for other programs with better NIL opportunities. It’s not just a game anymore; it’s a race to secure the best deals, with coaches like Scheyer constantly fighting to keep their teams intact.

NIL deals redefining college sports: Jon Scheyer navigating the new era

NIL deals have made college sports entirely unrecognizable. They’ve allowed athletes to make money off their name, image and likeness, sure, but they’ve also upended the entire system. Coaches who used to be able to focus on recruiting, developing players and winning games are now just trying to hold their rosters together. As Utah football coach Kyle Whittingham put it, NIL is a “free-for-all.” The orderly system of old somehow morphed into a chaotic and untenable reality in no time flat.

Nonetheless, coaches such as Jon Scheyer and Scott Drew are demonstrating that they remain undeterred by the new era. At Duke, Scheyer stressed that Lucas’s departure was a joint decision by the two of them, reinforcing the value of communication and teamwork in making it through the troubled waters.

“This wasn’t a decision that Jai made alone,” Scheyer said. “This is me and him working together.” Clearly, adaptability isn’t just a trait anymore—it’s the most essential trait to people in the college basketball world today.