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Bo Bassett is not even in the NCAA yet but his fame has skyrocketed. With some stupendous showing in the high school circuit, Bassett is undoubtedly up there on the list of wrestling prospects. After all, a 109-0 record is bound to garner the attention of the very best. However, with his time at Bishop McCort High School nearing its end, all eyes are on Bassett’s next move- which NCAA program will he join?

Surely enough, while the question is simple, the answer isn’t. Bassett would want the best for himself to keep his future shining. The young wrestler made a list of all the best colleges and rejected many over the coming weeks. After keeping the mystery alive for months, the 17-year-old will finally make the big reveal on February 4, 2025. But hold on, Bassett has another bit of interesting news to share. 

Bassett’s impact on the NIL market is a no-brainer, thanks to his mind-boggling fame. Surely enough, the young prodigy seems to have already received some major offers. Speaking with FloWrestling, Bassett doubled down on how he has been hearing some wild speculations about his NCAA prospects. “But I can tell you that, obviously, NIL is a piece of it. But I’m more focused on the wrestling, right? I want to achieve all my goals and do this and that, but I can tell you that all the offers have been very comparable,” said Bassett. 

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Next up, the 17-year-old also mentioned that his only goal was to focus on his career. On the other hand, Bassett compared wrestling to mainstream sports like the NFL. He stressed that it would be good to have some lucrative offers for him via the NIL. Even though the 17-year-old is at the top of his game, the exposure wrestling gives is inadequate. To quote Bassett, “On the other case though, I do wish it was true. Of course, I’m not like a quarterback. As much as I want wrestling to be like football and valued like football, we got a lot of work to do.”

Surely, a hype sensation like Bo Bassett speaking up against the disparity is significant. However, fans did not seem to be all gleeful with Bassett’s statements. Soon after the post went viral, fans took to the comments section to criticize Bo Bassett. 

Fans share their two cents as Bo Bassett gears up for big reveal

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Is Bo Bassett's NCAA choice about wrestling glory or chasing the biggest NIL deal?

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While the wrestling champ took his sweet time to pick a college, fans grew increasingly impatient. One wrestling enthusiast suggested that Bo Bassett’s statements about NIL and wrestling’s lower financial exposure might be a setup to justify choosing Rutgers, a school he was previously linked to but distanced himself from. Their comment read, “I’ve never heard a more obvious setup for a swerve back to Rutgers in my life.” Bassett could be setting up a surprise return to Rutgers despite earlier speculation about other top programs by emphasizing that all offers were comparable and NIL wasn’t the main factor. The fan sees his remarks as a deliberate misdirection before revealing his commitment.

Another netizen referred to the speculation about Bo Bassett’s NCAA choice. Iowa, a dominant wrestling program, is often linked to top recruits, and fans suspect he might join them. However, Bassett’s statement that NIL offers are “very comparable” contradicts the belief that Iowa offers fewer NIL deals than some rivals. If he goes for Iowa, fans think he might be downplaying NIL’s role to justify his decision. Conversely, if he isn’t choosing Iowa, the comment suggests he’s misleading people by keeping the suspense alive. The remark highlights the ongoing debate about Iowa’s NIL competitiveness in wrestling recruitment. Reflecting on this thought, one commenter shared, “Bo is either a great liar or he’s not going to Iowa”

Another fan could not resist praising Bo Bassett’s wrestling talent, regardless of which NCAA program he chooses. With an undefeated 109-0 high school record, Bassett is a top wrestling prospect, drawing major attention for his collegiate decision and NIL potential. The fan wrote, “Absolute stud no matter where he goes”

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Amid this discussion, one X user reflected frustration over NIL deals influencing college sports. The fan believes NIL has disrupted traditional recruiting and competition in football and basketball and now fears it will do the same in wrestling. Bo Bassett, a highly touted high school wrestling prospect, acknowledged NIL’s role in his decision-making while emphasizing his primary focus on wrestling. The disappointed fan stated, “I hate NIL. Unregulated and out of control. It’s ruined football basketball and now wrestling. I guess I’ll start following badminton or pickle ball.” Bassett’s remarks about wrestling’s limited exposure compared to mainstream sports like football likely fueled concerns that NIL could shift priorities away from the sport itself. And that might have prompted the fan’s sarcastic remark about switching to less commercialized sports.

Another comment highlighted skepticism about Bo Bassett’s recruitment process, suggesting it has been overly drawn out. The fan implies that Bassett is prioritizing NIL money over wrestling success, speculating that he chose Iowa because they offered more financial incentives. “LOL … this kid’s recruiting has been a total joke.  Not a PSU kid based on this.  Was rooting for Iowa at the PSU match.  His future team got its ass kicked and was desperate so offered more bags.  Kid is taking the money.  Won’t win a team title at Iowa”, read the fan’s statement.

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The commenter’s reference to Penn State (PSU) suggests disappointment that Bassett is not committing there, as the fan sees PSU as the superior program. Additionally, the mention of Iowa’s loss to PSU implies that Bassett’s future team is struggling competitively, further fueling the claim that his decision is financially motivated rather than based on wrestling dominance.

Thus, it is evident that not everything is rosy with Bo Bassett. However, with his impressive form, Bassett can very soon turn the tide and make the fans cheer for him in the future.

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Is Bo Bassett's NCAA choice about wrestling glory or chasing the biggest NIL deal?

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