TL;DR:College basketball is experiencing its best season in 15 years. G League Ignite shut down in 2024, NIL money kept elite talent on campus, and November 2025 delivered record viewership. The transfer portal is chaotic and NIL needs structure, but the on-court product is dramatically improved. Elite players like Cooper Flagg and AJ Dybantsa, international players choosing college over Europe, and programs operating like NBA franchises have restored college basketball as the primary path to the NBA.
November 2025 delivered the best start to a college basketball season ever. UConn ripped a win from Kansas at Phog Allen. Duke-Arkansas drew 6.8 million viewers on Thanksgiving—the largest regular-season audience in 32 years. Michigan State throttled Kentucky at Madison Square Garden while Tom Izzo preached what he’s been preaching for three decades: development over transactions.
By week’s end, we’ll have seen 36 ranked-versus-ranked nonconference games. Last year was 31. The year before, 28. The sport is scheduling up, playing up, and showing out.
For those of us who grew up on this sport—Mourning vs. Laettner, the Big East Tournament when it meant something, Duke-Maryland when they shared a conference—this feels different.
The Dark Years of College Basketball
From roughly 2018 to 2023, the product suffered. The one-and-done era hollowed out rosters. Elite talent scattered to G League Ignite, Overtime Elite, and European clubs willing to pay teenagers real money. In 2023, five of the top seven NBA draft picks came from outside college basketball.
Conference realignment gutted rivalries. Syracuse-Georgetown is gone. Maryland-Duke is gone. The Big East as we knew it is gone. The history and regional hatred got traded for television contracts.
And the games felt thin. When your best players leave after one season—or skip college entirely—you lose something. You lose the Laettners who go to four Final Fours and win two titles. You lose continuity.
The Threats That Were Supposed to Kill College Hoops
G League Ignite launched in 2020 as a direct competitor. Jalen Green signed for $500,000. Jonathan Kuminga followed. Overtime Elite targeted high schoolers with salaries and equity stakes. European clubs ramped up recruitment of American teenagers.
On March 21, 2024—the first day of the NCAA Tournament—the NBA announced it was shutting down Ignite. The tournament drew 8.5 million viewers that day, the most-watched first Thursday since 2015. Ignite finished its final season 2-32, the worst record in G League history.
“With the changing environment across youth and collegiate basketball, now is the right time to take this step,” G League president Shareef Abdur-Rahim said.
NIL changed the math. Once college players could get paid, the alternatives lost their primary advantage.
What Changed in Amateur Basketball
A five-star recruit can now stay on campus, play March Madness, build a brand in front of millions, and get paid. The financial gap between college and the alternatives collapsed. Top programs responded by operating more like NBA franchises—hiring coaches with pro experience, building development infrastructure, running systems designed to prepare players for the next level.
The talent followed.
Cooper Flagg arrived at Duke as the consensus No. 1 recruit and became the fourth freshman ever to win AP Player of the Year—joining Zion Williamson, Anthony Davis, and Kevin Durant. He scored 42 points against Notre Dame at 18 years old. He led Duke to the Final Four.
Egor Demin left Real Madrid for BYU—a guard who had never visited campus before committing. Kevin Young promised an NBA-ready environment. Demin led BYU to its first Sweet 16 in over a decade.
ESPN projects 12 college players in the lottery this June—tied for the second-most since 2015. College basketball is back on top as the primary NBA development path.
Thomas Haugh of the Florida Gators. Photo by Christian Proscia.
“Transfer portal recruitment is almost bigger than winning games,” Izzo said after beating Kentucky in November. “Not at Michigan State. Some day it could hurt me. But I don’t give up on the people I got.”
When Jeremy Fears Jr. set a Champions Classic record with 13 assists that night, it was the product of development—sticking with a player through rough patches and watching him become great. The portal threatens that model. It rewards impatience. It empowers middlemen. It opens during the NCAA Tournament.
“When the going gets tough, the tough get going,” Izzo said at a coaching clinic this summer. “The new saying is: when the going gets tough, get the hell out of Dodge.”
NIL has its own problems—the lack of structure, the wild west of collectives, deals that evaporate. But the product on the court is better. The talent is here. The games are compelling.
College Basketball Is Back, But It’s Different Than the 90s
This isn’t the same sport from the early 90s. The rivalries are fractured. The conferences are bloated. The roster churn is exhausting. The four-year star who defines a program—that player barely exists anymore.
But consider what we have now: elite freshmen who want to be in college. Experienced transfers creating competitive balance. International players choosing American universities over European clubs. Former pros returning to campus. Programs with professional-level infrastructure. And a tournament that still captures the country like nothing else.
March Madness 2025 averaged 10.2 million viewers. The championship peaked at 21.1 million. The Final Four drew its best numbers in eight years.
The sport adapted. It survived every threat. It outlasted the alternatives that were supposed to replace it.
Where College Ball Stands
G League Ignite is dead. Overtime Elite has pivoted to younger players. The European pipeline has been blunted by NIL money.
The portal is chaos. NIL needs guardrails. The conference structure is a mess. All true.
But in the 2025-26 college basketball season, the games are good, the stars are on campus, and the audience is growing. College basketball is in a better place than it’s been in 15 years.
The talent is back. The product is improved. That’s worth recognizing.
Photography by Christian Proscia, a South Florida-based photojournalist and Florida Atlantic University student covering elite athletic talent.
FAQ for College Basketball Is Back
Why is college basketball better now?
NIL allowed players to get paid while staying in college, eliminating the primary advantage of alternatives like G League Ignite and Overtime Elite. Elite recruits now choose college for the combination of money, March Madness exposure, and professional-level development.
What happened to G League Ignite?
The NBA shut down G League Ignite in March 2024 after four seasons. The program finished 2-32 in its final year. With NIL enabling college players to earn money, Ignite lost its recruiting edge.
Is college basketball the best path to the NBA again?
Yes. ESPN projects 12 college players in the 2025 NBA Draft lottery, tied for the second-most since 2015. After two years where international and G League prospects dominated, college is back on top.
What are the problems with college basketball right now?
The transfer portal lacks structure and enables year-round tampering. NIL has no enforcement mechanism and some deals don’t materialize. Conference realignment has destroyed traditional rivalries.
How good was November 2025 for college basketball?
The best ever. Duke-Arkansas drew 6.8 million viewers on Thanksgiving, the largest regular-season audience in 32 years. The month featured 36 ranked-versus-ranked matchups, up from 31 last year and 28 the year before.
Want to reach engaged college sports fans? Sponsor content like this. Contact us
Eric Kasimov is the founder of SportsEpreneur, part of the KazSource media network. Since launching the platform in 2015, he has hosted over 500 podcast episodes, written and published more than 1,500 articles, and advised business leaders, founders, and creators on building authority through media strategy.
Through his brands — KazSource, KazCM, SportsEpreneur, and QuietLoud Studios — Eric leads teams that produce podcasts, develop brand platforms, and help companies grow through modern content ecosystems. He also scaled KazSource Insurance into a seven-figure boutique agency, providing the foundation for the broader media network he operates today.
His work has been featured in Forbes, Axios, and Front Office Sports, and his podcasts have included conversations with top founders, investors, and athletes turned entrepreneurs.
College Basketball Is Back | The Talent Returned and the Product Is Better Than It’s Been in 15 Years
TL;DR: College basketball is experiencing its best season in 15 years. G League Ignite shut down in 2024, NIL money kept elite talent on campus, and November 2025 delivered record viewership. The transfer portal is chaotic and NIL needs structure, but the on-court product is dramatically improved. Elite players like Cooper Flagg and AJ Dybantsa, international players choosing college over Europe, and programs operating like NBA franchises have restored college basketball as the primary path to the NBA.
November 2025 delivered the best start to a college basketball season ever. UConn ripped a win from Kansas at Phog Allen. Duke-Arkansas drew 6.8 million viewers on Thanksgiving—the largest regular-season audience in 32 years. Michigan State throttled Kentucky at Madison Square Garden while Tom Izzo preached what he’s been preaching for three decades: development over transactions.
By week’s end, we’ll have seen 36 ranked-versus-ranked nonconference games. Last year was 31. The year before, 28. The sport is scheduling up, playing up, and showing out.
For those of us who grew up on this sport—Mourning vs. Laettner, the Big East Tournament when it meant something, Duke-Maryland when they shared a conference—this feels different.
The Dark Years of College Basketball
From roughly 2018 to 2023, the product suffered. The one-and-done era hollowed out rosters. Elite talent scattered to G League Ignite, Overtime Elite, and European clubs willing to pay teenagers real money. In 2023, five of the top seven NBA draft picks came from outside college basketball.
Conference realignment gutted rivalries. Syracuse-Georgetown is gone. Maryland-Duke is gone. The Big East as we knew it is gone. The history and regional hatred got traded for television contracts.
And the games felt thin. When your best players leave after one season—or skip college entirely—you lose something. You lose the Laettners who go to four Final Fours and win two titles. You lose continuity.
The Threats That Were Supposed to Kill College Hoops
G League Ignite launched in 2020 as a direct competitor. Jalen Green signed for $500,000. Jonathan Kuminga followed. Overtime Elite targeted high schoolers with salaries and equity stakes. European clubs ramped up recruitment of American teenagers.
On March 21, 2024—the first day of the NCAA Tournament—the NBA announced it was shutting down Ignite. The tournament drew 8.5 million viewers that day, the most-watched first Thursday since 2015. Ignite finished its final season 2-32, the worst record in G League history.
“With the changing environment across youth and collegiate basketball, now is the right time to take this step,” G League president Shareef Abdur-Rahim said.
NIL changed the math. Once college players could get paid, the alternatives lost their primary advantage.
What Changed in Amateur Basketball
A five-star recruit can now stay on campus, play March Madness, build a brand in front of millions, and get paid. The financial gap between college and the alternatives collapsed. Top programs responded by operating more like NBA franchises—hiring coaches with pro experience, building development infrastructure, running systems designed to prepare players for the next level.
The talent followed.
Cooper Flagg arrived at Duke as the consensus No. 1 recruit and became the fourth freshman ever to win AP Player of the Year—joining Zion Williamson, Anthony Davis, and Kevin Durant. He scored 42 points against Notre Dame at 18 years old. He led Duke to the Final Four.
Egor Demin left Real Madrid for BYU—a guard who had never visited campus before committing. Kevin Young promised an NBA-ready environment. Demin led BYU to its first Sweet 16 in over a decade.
At Santa Clara, Thierry Darlan became the first former G League player to go from the pros back to college. He’s 21, studying art history, rebuilding his career after a devastating ankle injury. The NCAA granted him two years of eligibility. That path didn’t exist five years ago.
ESPN projects 12 college players in the lottery this June—tied for the second-most since 2015. College basketball is back on top as the primary NBA development path.
The College Sports Chaos Is Real
The transfer portal is madness. The tampering is rampant. Tom Izzo—30 years at Michigan State, Hall of Famer, eight Final Fours—calls it “a bad system.”
“Transfer portal recruitment is almost bigger than winning games,” Izzo said after beating Kentucky in November. “Not at Michigan State. Some day it could hurt me. But I don’t give up on the people I got.”
When Jeremy Fears Jr. set a Champions Classic record with 13 assists that night, it was the product of development—sticking with a player through rough patches and watching him become great. The portal threatens that model. It rewards impatience. It empowers middlemen. It opens during the NCAA Tournament.
“When the going gets tough, the tough get going,” Izzo said at a coaching clinic this summer. “The new saying is: when the going gets tough, get the hell out of Dodge.”
NIL has its own problems—the lack of structure, the wild west of collectives, deals that evaporate. But the product on the court is better. The talent is here. The games are compelling.
College Basketball Is Back, But It’s Different Than the 90s
This isn’t the same sport from the early 90s. The rivalries are fractured. The conferences are bloated. The roster churn is exhausting. The four-year star who defines a program—that player barely exists anymore.
But consider what we have now: elite freshmen who want to be in college. Experienced transfers creating competitive balance. International players choosing American universities over European clubs. Former pros returning to campus. Programs with professional-level infrastructure. And a tournament that still captures the country like nothing else.
March Madness 2025 averaged 10.2 million viewers. The championship peaked at 21.1 million. The Final Four drew its best numbers in eight years.
The sport adapted. It survived every threat. It outlasted the alternatives that were supposed to replace it.
Where College Ball Stands
G League Ignite is dead. Overtime Elite has pivoted to younger players. The European pipeline has been blunted by NIL money.
The portal is chaos. NIL needs guardrails. The conference structure is a mess. All true.
But in the 2025-26 college basketball season, the games are good, the stars are on campus, and the audience is growing. College basketball is in a better place than it’s been in 15 years.
The talent is back. The product is improved. That’s worth recognizing.
Photography by Christian Proscia, a South Florida-based photojournalist and Florida Atlantic University student covering elite athletic talent.
FAQ for College Basketball Is Back
Why is college basketball better now?
NIL allowed players to get paid while staying in college, eliminating the primary advantage of alternatives like G League Ignite and Overtime Elite. Elite recruits now choose college for the combination of money, March Madness exposure, and professional-level development.
What happened to G League Ignite?
The NBA shut down G League Ignite in March 2024 after four seasons. The program finished 2-32 in its final year. With NIL enabling college players to earn money, Ignite lost its recruiting edge.
Is college basketball the best path to the NBA again?
Yes. ESPN projects 12 college players in the 2025 NBA Draft lottery, tied for the second-most since 2015. After two years where international and G League prospects dominated, college is back on top.
What are the problems with college basketball right now?
The transfer portal lacks structure and enables year-round tampering. NIL has no enforcement mechanism and some deals don’t materialize. Conference realignment has destroyed traditional rivalries.
How good was November 2025 for college basketball?
The best ever. Duke-Arkansas drew 6.8 million viewers on Thanksgiving, the largest regular-season audience in 32 years. The month featured 36 ranked-versus-ranked matchups, up from 31 last year and 28 the year before.
Want to reach engaged college sports fans? Sponsor content like this. Contact us
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Eric Kasimov is the founder of SportsEpreneur, part of the KazSource media network. Since launching the platform in 2015, he has hosted over 500 podcast episodes, written and published more than 1,500 articles, and advised business leaders, founders, and creators on building authority through media strategy.
Through his brands — KazSource, KazCM, SportsEpreneur, and QuietLoud Studios — Eric leads teams that produce podcasts, develop brand platforms, and help companies grow through modern content ecosystems. He also scaled KazSource Insurance into a seven-figure boutique agency, providing the foundation for the broader media network he operates today.
His work has been featured in Forbes, Axios, and Front Office Sports, and his podcasts have included conversations with top founders, investors, and athletes turned entrepreneurs.