Dusty May Tells Dan Dakich He Wants Transfer Portal Buyouts As College Hoops Popularity Booms

There's been a lot of chatter among fans and the media that NIL and the transfer portal were going to destroy college sports. Based on the TV ratings for the 2026 NCAA Tournament, that doesn't appear to be the case. But that doesn't mean college basketball isn't without its problems. 

Michigan head coach Dusty May, ahead of his team's Final Four matchup against Arizona, joined OutKick's Dan Dakich on "Don't @ Me" to talk about the state of the sport. 

"You know, 14 million people watched our game versus Alabama," May said, referencing the TV ratings that have set record highs throughout March Madness. But he quickly reminded everyone that "there certainly are some things that we need to fix." 

Dusty May Says College Basketball Needs Real Answers, Not More Band-Aids

May acknowledged one obvious problem in the current system: non-Power conference schools develop players, then lose them without much protection.

"For these low-majors and mid-majors losing their guys, we need to be paying buyouts," May said. "We need to be treating this what it is."

That's a fascinating thing for May, the head coach at a power program, to say. He's admitting that schools like his should have to pay lower level schools when they get their players through the transfer portal. 

May is uniquely qualified to speak on both, given that he spent six seasons as the head coach at Florida Atlantic. 

Michigan head coach Dusty May told OutKick's Dan Dakich that March Madness ratings show college basketball is thriving, but NIL, transfers, and eligibility rules still need real solutions.

(Robert Deutsch/Imagn Images)

But he also made clear that there is a leadership issue in college basketball. 

"The people that actually have a voice need to start putting out some well-thought-out answers instead of just… whatever comes to mind," May said. 

May's biggest issue is with how NIL is handled, not that it exists. In fact, May made it clear that he's strongly in favor of paying college players. 

"We coaches have been paid so well for so long," May said. "To act like we are the only ones that should have been getting paid, it’s asinine."

His real issue is the long-term health of the sport. He said players deserve to make money, but the current NIL system lacks structure. In May's view, that's leading to young athletes being handed large sums without enough safeguards, and major programs that generate huge revenue still relying on donors and collectives instead of a more stable system. 

That's the part too many people either miss or choose to ignore. Coaches like May are not saying NIL ruined college basketball. They are saying the sport needed to evolve, but the leadership failed to evolve with it.

Jon Scheyer Also Raised Concerns 

Prior to the Sweet 16 in Washington, D.C., OutKick asked Duke head coach Jon Scheyer about the effect of NIL on college basketball and its popularity. 

Scheyer noted that popularity is soaring because "more talent in the game means there's a higher level of competition" and added that combining "the talent and the style of play" is "exciting."

But he raised concerns, like May, although from a different perspective. 

"I think we have to be smart about who is eligible and who isn't. There are a lot of questions we have to answer," Scheyer said. 

Earlier this season, one former NBA Draft pick (James Nnaji) and one NBA player (Charles Bediako) competed in college basketball games for Baylor and Alabama, respectively. Bediako was eventually ruled ineligible, but teams are already recruiting professional basketball players for next season. That's a problem. 

College basketball is not dying because the games are good, the athletes are talented and fan enthusiasm isn't waning. If anything, it's increasing. And the main advantage that college basketball has over the NBA is the in-arena atmosphere. 

But if it wants to maintain that momentum, it has to take Dusty May's advice and stop slapping "Band-Aid after Band-Aid" over its problems.