By ADAM ZAGORIA
Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim had to backtrack and issuel an apology Monday after saying ACC rivals Pittsburgh, Wake Forest and Miami “bought” teams with NIL money.
“I would like to clarify remarks I made in a conversation I had with a media member following our game on Saturday evening,” he said in a statement. “I apologize to the schools I mentioned. I believe the ACC member institutions are in compliance with NCAA rules governing Name, Image and Likeness (NIL). It was not my intention to imply otherwise.”
On Saturday, Boeheim ripped the NIL rules and the state of college basketball.
“This is an awful place we’re in in college basketball,” he told reporters. “Pittsburgh bought a team. OK, fine. My [big donor] talks about it, but he doesn’t give anyone any money. Nothing. Not one guy. Our guys make like $20,000. Wake Forest bought a team. Miami bought a team. … It’s like, ‘Really, this is where we are?’ That’s really where we are, and it’s only going to get worse.”
He also argued it’s the reason longtime Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski and Villanova coach Jay Wright “got out” of college coaching.
“The transfer portal and everything is nuts,” Boeheim added.
Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes responded to Boeheim’s NIL comments.
“I don’t have one player on my team that got NIL money to come here,” he said.
On Monday’s ACC conference call, Forbes said Boeheim reached out to him at 2:30 a.m, per Mike Waters of the Syracuse Post-Standard.
“I’m fine with Coach,” Forbes said. “I like him. I respect him.”
Boeheim also reached out to Pitt coach Jeff Capel.
Asked what Boeheim said, Capel told reporters: “That’s between me and Coach Boeheim.'”
Boeheim also didn’t elaborate.
“That’s between me and Jeff,” Boeheim said.’
He added: “I’m not going to talk about any of these conversations.”
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