Ten years ago, yes, not now: Self not interested in talking college sports with NCAA

If asked by the NCAA, Hall of Fame basketball coach Bill Self would have no interest in offering his opinion on NIL, college athletes becoming employees of universities, conference realignment and other hot-button issues in amateur sports today.

“At that level, maybe,” Self said of perhaps visiting with a government official or two about the state of college hoops as they consider proposed legislation, “but as far as me hunkering down arm-in-arm with the NCAA saying, ‘OK, how can we work together to fix this?’ I don’t have any interest in doing that,” Self said Thursday at a news conference held in advance of Saturday’s Kansas-Baylor clash, set for a 5 p.m. tip at Allen Fieldhouse.

Self — he indicated he has had discussions with Kansas senator Jerry Moran about issues in college sports — was asked by a media member if he’d like to be part of future talks with the NCAA or merely be informed of new rules in the future once they are passed and abide by them in his KU hoops program.

“Ten years ago I would say I’d like to be a part of the discussions. Right now in going through the NCAA stuff that we went through, just just tell me what the rules are and we’ll adjust,” Self said.

“I have absolutely zero interest in trying to get ahead of something (like) that because we spent five or six years dealing with something that created more angst and frustration than anything that I’ve ever been through. I am just like, ‘Whatever you do just let me know and we’ll adjust.’ I think that’s been my mindset far moreso than, ‘How can I get in front of this?’ That’s probably a sad thing to say but it’s actually — you asked the question I’m giving you an honest answer — it’s how I feel at this point in time.”

Self on Thursday sounded like a coach who has had enough meetings with NCAA officials to last a lifetime. The NCAA’s infractions case against KU basketball started in 2017 stemming from a federal investigation of corruption in college basketball and ended with minor penalties handed out by the IARP in October of 2023.

“In theory I think I’ve got some good ideas but I don’t think I’m going to go lobby before Congress to come up and figure out, ‘Hey what do you think, Self, about this?’ That’s not going to happen,” Self said. “Certainly with what we’ve gone through (for) five years they (NCAA officials) are not going to ask me anyway. I’m not going to spend a lot of time worrying about some crap that they are not even gonna ask me about. That’s how I see it.”

He agreed with a reporter’s assertion that the NCAA may not ask Self his opinions on issues facing college sports, following its long look into KU’s program, but the government could seek the opinion of the veteran coach.

“You are right. There could be a couple senators ask me about certain things, and to your point Jerry Moran has,” Self said. “That’s actually a good point.”

Self is optimistic college basketball will get through this period of uncertainty and thrive.

“This sport has been so good over time and it will get good again. We will figure it out. It will balance out,” Self said, “We’re just at a point now in college athletics everything is up in the air, The way it looks now isn’t going to be the same way it looks five years from now. It’s just up in the air right now.”

He added: “Every business goes through situations like that — well this isn’t the way the pharmaceutical business was seven years ago or this isn’t where the trucking business was five years ago. This is not the way college sports was seven years ago. We all go through changes and right now we’re in a change,” Self said.

Earlier this week the regional office of the National Labor Relations Board ruled that Dartmouth’s men’s basketball players are employees of the school and have the right to unionize.

“I am not as up to speed on it as a lot of people,” Self said. There are a lot of people administratively that think that’s definitely the direction the world is going to and maybe it is. I am so confused to have a total understanding of what is really going on and where college athletics is headed from an NIL, from a union, from a employee situation, Title 9 and what it all really means. I’m not smart enough to know what that all means.

“There are a lot of people that think that’s the worst thing for colleges if they become employees,” Self added. “You hear the flip side, ‘Well it’s going there anyway. That would be the best thing.’ Are we going to put everything in house or are we going to keep it out of house? What’s the role universities play on all this stuff? It’s so up in the air and indecisive it makes it hard for people to operate not knowing certain things. You’ve got the Tennessee case still out there. That will certainly impact NIL moving forward depending on what that ruling is.”

The attorney generals in Tennessee and Virginia recently filed a federal antitrust lawsuit in the Eastern District of Tennessee that challenged the NCAA’s NIL rules, after it was revealed the University of Tennessee was under investigation by the NCAA for potential violations.

“It’s like it would be nice in two years from now or three years from now that it will actually settle down and (we are told), ‘This is exactly how we know it’s going to be,’’’ Self said.

“So many talk about, ‘Has the NCAA lost all its power? Do we need to break off and go into two or three divisions?’ All the different things that are being rumored and said out there I think it’s such an inexact science right now. I don’t think anybody really knows what’s going on.”