Shaquille O’Neal Highlights How It Is Near Impossible to Get a Men’s Basketball D1 Scholarship Today

Shaquille O'Neal looks on in the first half between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Dallas Mavericks during game two of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Target Center

Division 1 basketball is the peak of the college hoops circuit. Ever since high schoolers stopped jumping to the NBA, and even before that, going through a few years of playing in college was the way to get to the league. With the advent of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) laws, college has become a way to make life-changing money, but, with the increased demand from players to find places to play, college sports are getting increasingly oversaturated.

Shaquille O’Neal recently posted a graphic on his Instagram story about this issue. Due to the number of players entering the transfer portal, both from other D1 schools and from JUCO and NAIA schools, there are simply no available spots for many good players to get a scholarship.

What was once a great way to earn a free education or spend a year before entering the draft is now a dog-eat-dog world with everyone fighting over limited opportunities.

The statistics detailed, if accurate, mean there are more than 7,000 potential D1 talents who can’t find a scholarship. While there are pathways for walk-ons to earn such financial assistance, it puts a huge financial burden on players. The average tuition in the United States is just over $38,000 a year. That is a considerable amount of money.

The G-League Ignite used to offer opportunities for a few high-level prospects, but that option has been discontinued by the NBA. It’s hard to find alternative paths for college players now because there are not enough scholarships available and no other valid options.

Worst of all, there is absolutely no guarantee that these players will make it to the NBA. A mere 60 players are drafted per year, and just a handful of undrafted players will ever advance beyond the Summer League. Only about 1% of college players make it to the NBA.

College sports have been in a bad state for a while. While the increased player rights that NIL and the transfer portal provide are clearly a huge win for all those involved, some clear downward trends have everyone worried.

Post Edited By: Jodi Whisenhunt
College Sports Shaquille O'Neal

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Thilo Latrell Widder

As the first person to graduate in Bennington College’s history with a focus in sports journalism, Thilo has spent the three years since finishing his degree trying to craft the most ridiculous sports metaphor. Despite that, he takes great joy in amalgamating his interests in music, film, and food into projects that get at the essence of sports culture.

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