College basketball has always been a business, the difference now is the players finally have leverage. That part is overdue. Still, the money can’t be an excuse to erase the principles the game is built on: compete, earn it, be coachable, be accountable. When the first questions in recruiting are about guarantees instead of development, it signals a shift that’s bigger than NIL, it’s a culture problem. Pay the players, absolutely. Then demand the same thing the sport has always demanded, effort, discipline, and the willingness to be coached.