The collegiate sports scene in America has gone through a lot of change. While initially ridiculed for the lack of benefits for its star athletes, the NIL brought a change in that perspective. Furthermore, on the women’s side, an argument exists for college hoopers doing better than at the WNBA level. As a result, a lot of factors remain unclear. However, as Michigan’s head coach makes his stance clear, Charles Barkley is in two minds about the system.

Even though he altered his will to accommodate his alma mater, he does see a lot of problems with the system.

Charles Barkley speaks out on the collegiate system in America

While his career in the NBA is the stuff of legend, Barkley was just as prolific at the college level. The 1993 MVP has long been among the greatest Power Forwards to ever grace the hardwood. However, his trajectory began in college as he received the SEC Player of the Year Award in 1984. As a result, the SEC Tournament MVP had his jersey retired by the Auburn Tigers.

Perhaps his generous and heartfelt donations further helped cement his legacy at the university. However, he isn’t a fan of the latest collegiate rules. Speaking on the Bill Simmons podcast, “We have just totally f**ked it up. Between realignment, between NIL, the transfer portal…How in the world did we screwed up that situation?”?He further elaborated on his point.

“Only a couple of these guys gonna go pro. The rest 99.9% get to go to college and get a free education…I don’t know how this thing gonna turn out. And its really sad and unfortunate…These programs are gonna start cutting sports at some point…Having kids fly across the country, miss multiple days of school, that’s not a good thing…I don’t know how you could fix it.”?

Read More: Forced by Charles Barkley to Accept His Harsh Reality, Stephen A. Smith Puts His Plans to Combat Supreme Court?s Order on Display

When Simmons tried to allude to the Philadelphia 76ers legend fixing the situation, Chuck had a surprising response. “I’ve been Auburn’s biggest booster for a long time. But what’s in it for me…I have been giving tonnes and tonnes of money to Auburn for years and years and years. And I’m going to continue to do it. But, I’m not gonna give them unlimited access to my damn money…I want Auburn to be good in football and basketball and all the sports. But the one thing I don’t want to be is black and broke…Being black and broke is never a solution for success.”

Legendary Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh was outspoken about his desire to get the players better pay.

Harbaugh makes his stance on College Players’ Pay

Just as the collegiate season is starting up, the press conferences have already been elite. While Caleb Williams is making an immediate case for back-to-back Heisman Trophies, Michigan’s HC is instead focusing on the players’ personal growth.

Speaking on his first presser of the season, the 8th-year coach makes his position clear. “I don’t understand how the NCAA can continue to make millions off [of students] across the country without sharing revenue.”?

Even though NIL deals have made the situation easier to digest, there still remains a sizeable gap between both parties. With the two views from two legends perfectly lining up, is the league finally going to see a change?

What do you think of the sports system in colleges? Let us know in the comments below.

Watch This Story: Charles Barkley Slyly Takes A Dig At LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant While Putting Nikola Jokic On A Pedestal?