There are very few legitimate pro prospects that are going to play in the NCAA tournament this month, but the ratings and the money will be there. An NBA D-league team has more talent and pro potential players than most any college team, yet nobody gives a crap about the NBA D-league. Why is that?
Almost all the money the NCAA brings in comes from the basketball tournament. Just heard it on the radio yesterday, Seth Davis when asked if Oklahoma will get in because of Trae Young, said “it doesn’t matter who is playing, it doesn’t matter what players are in the tournament, the tournament itself creates star players, the TV ratings won’t be affected by any individual player.” I think he was quoting someone else but it’s true.
You must not follow the NBA...or college basketball. The only top-level (non-European) prospect who may be missing is Trae Young...and I’m guessing he’ll at least be playing in the First Four.
And there are no ‘prospects’ in the D-League. It’s for fringe-level NBA players who would rather not play overseas. They are collectively a group of 14th/15th men there for depth purposes...the ‘prospects’ only play when they can’t get time with the NBA team, and they’re only there for a game or 2 at a time.
The NCAA tournament is a great event. Without the players it is non-existent. The TV money isn’t anywhere near as big if star players had a viable option outside of college...Turner isn’t paying to broadcast a second-rate product.
And it’s still beside the point anyway. Looking at the NCAA itself for revenue figures in college sports is like calculating the price of a house based on how nice the garage is...doesn’t tell anywhere near the whole story. The CFP was negotiated exclusively by the Power 5 conferences. The conference TV deals are their own entities. Then there’s merchandise, booster ‘gifts’, etc etc etc.
Even if you buy the ludicrous argument that there isn’t enough money available to pay players, barring them from seeking sponsorships or otherwise capitalizing on their own names is not justifiable. The NCAA has already had to pay a nine-figure settlement for not covering the full cost of living for scholarships in the past, and EA got out of the video game market after paying out a $40 million settlement in the O’Bannon case.
Anyone with a modicum of reason knows the current situation is untenable. Wanting college athletics to stay the same because you like watching them is not a valid reason to maintain the status quo.