In the afterglow of Oakland University's upset victory over Kentucky last week in the NCAA tournament, Grizzlies head coach Greg Kampe says it's getting exceedingly difficult for small programs like his to keep good players in the era of NIL.
According to Kampe, who spoke with Dan Dakich on "Don't @ Me", Grizzlies star Trey Thompson has been offered some lucrative deals to transfer since his performance in the tournament.
"They call [Townsend] Mr. Oakland here, but … the only reason he's got another year is the COVID year. So, he gave us four years. He's got his degree," Kampe said.
"He's going to get offered so much money and I can't [match that]. We've got a 'Keep Trey Townsend Fund' going from our [NIL] collective, and we might be able to get $40-50,000 in there, but he's looking at $250-300,000 from what I'm being told. So, it's going to be hard for me to tell him to stay."
Kampe has a close relationship with Townsend, but he understands why a player would transfer to a larger school for that kind of money.
"He's as close to having a son play for you as I could have had," Kampe said. "I've known the kid since he was four … [but] he'll probably go in the portal, and he'll probably be playing at a Big Ten arena near you some day soon."
After beating #3 Kentucky, Oakland ended falling in the Round of 32 to #11 N.C. State.
