Jay Wright: ‘I could have never anticipated’ how college hoops has changed as he enters Hall of Fame

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jay Wright saw the direction college basketball was headed four years ago, when the transfer portal began to reshape the way teams were constructed, and abruptly retired after leading Villanova to a pair of national championships.

Some would argue the chaos has only gotten worse.

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Name, image and likeness payments, revenue sharing, the recent expansion of the NCAA Tournament to 76 teams and a plethora of court cases challenging eligibility rules have left some coaches wondering what will come next.

It doesn’t make Wright, who was inducted into the National Collegiate Hall of Fame on Thursday, wish he’d stuck around.

“In my wildest dreams, even though I saw what was coming, I could have never anticipated it would get to the levels it is financially right now, and the movement in the transfer portal. I don’t think I could have ever imagined it is what it is now,” Wright told The Associated Press. “It’s a really unique time, and I hope we can find a way to allow these players to still be compensated, and share in the revenue, but keep those connections to education and to our universities.”

Wright’s affinity for the college atmosphere, and Villanova in particular, is one reason why the 61-year-old left a stint in broadcasting after his 2022 retirement to return to the school as a special assistant to the president, the Rev. Peter M. Donohue.

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There, he’s seen firsthand how much stress Wildcats coach Kevin Willard is under to build — and pay for — his roster each season.

“I hope we can work something out with the transfer portal, work something out with revenue sharing, where we can still revenue share with these guys but these guys stay in school, get their degrees,” Wright said. “It’s a great opportunity to stay in school for four years, get paid for four years, and get your education — that’s the best of all worlds. I hope we can get to that point.

“I don’t have the answers right now,” Wright added, “but I hope we get to that…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/jay-wright-could-never-anticipated-205415230.html

Author : DAVE SKRETTA

Publish date : 2026-10-22 20:54:00

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