Rochester Hills Last year, Oakland University’s Golden Grizzlies, coached by Greg Kampe, shocked the basketball community when they beat perennial powerhouse Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament. The 14-seed Golden Grizzlies, a 13-point underdog, upset perennial powerhouse Kentucky during the NCAA Tournament.
Kampe won his biggest game in 41 years of playing for Oakland in Rochester Hills, Michigan. He says that his greatest challenge now is off the court.
Kampe: “I spend the summer trying to raise money for players. Can you imagine? “College coaches now say that because it is true.”
The old definition of amateur athlete is outdated. Thanks to NCAA rules that have been relaxed, college athletes are now able to make millions even before they go pro.
By 2021, athletes, including big-name stars such as Shedeur Sanders, the Colorado football star, and Caitlin Clare , a former Indiana basketball superstar, can benefit from endorsements, jersey sales, and autograph sessions.
Another part of the program has become a monster – athletes are paid to play.
Kampe says he talks to players about compensation “right at the beginning” when recruiting them.
Alumnae and donors with deep pockets are being used by schools to pay high-level athletes millions. Schools are engaging in bidding wars to recruit new players and stealing from each other’s rosters. After last year’s tournament, three of Kampe’s top players moved to programs that paid more.
Kampe said, “Some Power Five offers him $5000,”. “OK, I’m not going to offer him that.” How do I tell the kid “Don’t take $5000”?
According to Opendorse’s report, a NIL tech company, an estimated $1.67 million was spent on student-athletes in 2024. Nearly all that money was spent on men’s sports. $1.1 billion on college football, and $390 million estimated on college basketball.
Sports that do not earn profit are at risk of being pushed out by the two sports led by these big men.
Jadin O’Brien, a pentathlon champion from Notre Dame twice, told CBS News: “I didn’t sign for millions of bucks, and I didn’t enter track and field because of the money.”
O’Brien appreciates the sponsorship money but it is only a third of what an average college football player earns.
O’Brien stated, “I’m good and I love sports.” “And it’s fine if I earn a little extra money.”
Kampe claims he is not against the system. He just wants it to be improved.
Kampe explained, “I am not an old man screaming at the clouds.” “I want be part of the solutions.”
Kampe plays for teams that spend millions more per year than Oakland and is concerned about the future of college sports.
Kampe stated, “I think the panic right now is the fact that you will see the same 68 NCAA teams every year and the same 12 College Football Playoff teams every year.” “I think that the true fans are in a panic.”
