The NBA is seeing more and more figures take front office jobs with colleges, but NFL players are not returning to the NCAA.
The “hottest trend” in the NBA today seems to be gambling on games, although that’s not what I’m talking about. Recently, NBA players, both active and former, have taken positions in the front offices of NBA programs, usually at their alma mater.
Trae Young, Jayson Tatum, Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, Shaquille O’Neal, Terance Mann, and even Adrian Wojnarowski have taken jobs in the athletic departments of NCAA schools.
On the football side, Andrew Luck is the only big-name NFL star with the same duties, returning to Stanford in 2024.
Why are NBA players returning to college more frequently than NFL stars?
Why NBA Players Are Drawn to the NCAA
First and foremost, the job as a college general manager, which is usually more ceremonial than anything, is easier. Love it or hate it, the transfer portal is changing recruiting.
In the NBA, players just have to be one year removed from high school to declare for the draft. In the NFL, it’s three years, with most players spending four seasons in college before going pro. As a result, the best players enter the transfer portal at a higher rate in NCAAF than in NCAAB.
Imagine, for a second, that Ja Morant and Randy Moss took the GM jobs at Murray State and Marshall. If Moss recruited a four-star wideout who was named an All-American in his sophomore season, would that player stick around? Or would he transfer to a bigger program to increase his draft stock?
If the same happened with Morant, that player would declare for the draft. Losing a player to a pro league is a much bigger success than losing a player to a college rival. Ego is involved, and it’s easier to promote stars in basketball than in football.
Second of all, basketball players often have a bigger personal brand to promote. Sure, quarterbacks and receivers are kings, but even the best special teams player or offensive lineman isn’t exactly a household name. In basketball, regardless of position, you can be the face of the league.
By using their brand and fame, basketball players can promote their college teams better than most NFL players can. Sure, if Lamar Jackson took the Louisville job, it would garner a lot of attention. However, if Lane Johnson wanted to return to Kilgore College to take a front office job, would it register even a blimp on the radar? Probably not.
Finally, NBA free agency is less restrictive than in the NFL. Recruiting free agents is a skill, and by establishing relationships with college stars early, players can put themselves in a prime position to recruit them in free agency down the road.
Of course, the transfer portal plays the biggest role. Telling recruits that they could make the NBA in two years, max, is a massive selling point. In college, you’re asking high schoolers to commit to four years on campus. It’s a harder job in football, and these athletes already have busy schedules.
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