As the college basketball season kicks off, so does another year of teams competing in the name image and likeness era. In June 2025, a federal judge approved a settlement that allowed universities to pay their athletes directly. Before this ruling, athletes could only profit from NIL by using third-party collectives or by securing deals with brands independently.
The new NIL rules have only widened the gap between mid-major and Power 5 schools. Mid-major basketball programs are teams in conferences where only the winner advances to the NCAA March Madness tournament. While these colleges compete at a D1 level, they face constraints with money, resources, and depth compared to Power 5 schools.
Drexel falls under the mid-major umbrella, as the CAA only sends one team to the NCAA tournament each year. Like many small D1 programs, NIL has been a source of struggle in the last four years and has affected Drexel’s basketball program significantly. However, this problem is limited to the men’s team, as the women’s team did not see any transfers. This is in part due to Amy Mallon’s continued accomplishments, winning two CAA championships in the past five years.
The men’s team has not found the same success. When the team took to the court for the Nov. 3rd season opener matchup against Widener, Drexel started five first-time starters. It has become an unmistakable pattern for the team: each new season brings heavy roster turnover and new starters, and forces the coaching staff to rebuild chemistry and cohesion. The same trend was evident during the 2023-2024 campaign, when multiple key starters and bench players had moved on, leaving yet another lineup that had to find its rhythm from scratch.
Assistant men’s basketball coach Will Chavis knows this problem all too well. As one of the coaches leading recruiting and scouting efforts, he has felt the impact of NIL on the program at Drexel.
“When you recruit student athletes at our level initially, [money] wasn’t an issue. Now, in the last one or two years, it’s been more prevalent in recruiting. Kids know about it. Families know about it,” said Chavis. “They’re starting to ask questions about what their value is and where they can add value to the situation.”
Those who follow the Dragons will recall Amari Williams’ departure to Kentucky during the 2024 offseason. Other notable players who left with him that season were Justin Moore, Lamar Oden Jr., and Jamie Bergens. However, Williams was the only one to go to a Power 5 school. During the 2025 offseason, Drexel saw four players transfer to high-major schools. This exodus underscored Drexel’s growing reputation as a developmental program capable of preparing players for the highest level of college basketball.
This pattern also reflects a larger national trend in which mid-major programs are increasingly serving as a stepladder for athletes seeking broader exposure on the national stage and greater NIL opportunities from schools that can afford it. For many players, strong performances at schools like Drexel can open doors to bigger conferences, better competition, and more lucrative sponsorships. While this upward mobility can be viewed as a success story for player development, it also leaves mid-majors in a constant state of rebuilding from the previous year’s losses, forcing coaches to balance the pride of seeing players advance with the challenge of sustaining a winning culture year after year.
Kobe MaGee, one of the stand-out players from the 2024-2025 season, transferred to Florida State University during this past offseason. MaGee was somewhat of a breakout player for the Dragons this past year, increasing his point averages from six to 14 points per game, although fans of the team saw flashes of his potential during his first two years. MaGee earned All-CAA Third Team honors as well. With this success, MaGee moved to the ACC to play for the FSU Seminoles. So far this season, MaGee is averaging 12.5 points per game, third highest on the team, helping them achieve a 2-0 start to begin this season.
In a move that writes its own headline, Yame Butler transferred to Butler University after a standout season last year. Butler is a well-known player for the Dragons. Transferring from Fordham in 2021, Butler made his mark immediately, playing in 17 games, averaging 8 points per game. From then on, Butler became a staple in Coach Spiker’s rotation, breaking into the starting squad in his final year at Drexel. So far with the Bulldogs, Butler is averaging six points through two games, getting 16 minutes a game. In a tough division like the Big East, Butler will be a key part of the team, as he was for the Dragons.
Following Butler to the Big East, big man Cole Hargrove joined the Providence Friars this offseason. Hargrove was with the Dragons since 2021, but only started to feature in games in his third year, after Williams transferred and Garfield Turner suffered a season-ending injury. These two factors gave Hargrove a clear path to starting every game and becoming a reliable option for Coach Spiker. Hargrove seized this opportunity and averaged 10 points and eight rebounds a game, to go with two blocks, earning CAA First Team All-Defense his final year at Drexel. After joining Providence, Hargrove has primarily played backup center for the first few games, giving the Friars a solid option and defensive anchor off the bench to start the season.
The final transfer from the 2024-2025 team is point guard Jason Drake. Drake’s journey is a bit of an odd one. After playing just five minutes a game for Cleveland State, Drake hit the transfer portal and ended up at Butler Community College, where he averaged nine points a game as a starter. This elevated play allowed Drake to take his talents to the portal. Soon enough, he ended up at Drexel. Drake soon became the starting point guard after an injury left Kevon Vanderhorst sidelined for half the season. Drake struggled early, but near the second half of the season, he became a prominent scorer for Drexel, averaging 12 points per game. His playmaking and defensive intensity became extremely important for the Dragons. Drake rode this breakout streak into the offseason, entering the transfer portal and ending up at Indiana, his fourth team in four years. Drake has yet to appear in a game for the Hoosiers this season due to an injury sustained during the offseason. He currently has no timetable for his return.
The success of former players brings encouragement to Chavis. While he understands that it is hard to compete against high-major universities offering more opportunities, it is not lost on him the impact the staff makes on the athletes.
“It’s a gift that you were able to impact the lives of young men and help them change the financial trajectory of their lives. You have an opportunity to mentor, to coach, and to pour into a new group of guys that come on campus and help develop them as well.”
Drexel’s transfer portal losses have made the coaches rethink their recruiting strategy. Instead of solely focusing on money, the coaching staff has embraced the importance of relationship building and earning a degree.
“We want to be competitive in that space, but being competitive doesn’t always come down to money. Sometimes it comes down to relationships. I think at our level, you still have that relationship as a selling point. Drexel is also a great institution for someone to graduate from. A kid like Shane Blakeney came back because of a relationship and because when we recruited him to Drexel, he wanted to get a Drexel degree.”
The ever-expanding pipeline from mid-major programs to high-major schools highlights the growing reality of college basketball in the NIL era. For Drexel, this shift emphasizes both the challenges and the pride that come with developing such great talent capable of thriving at higher levels. While losing key players can make it harder to sustain on-court success, it also reflects the team’s strength in player development, recruiting, and mentorship. Coaches like Chavis will have to continue to adapt, emphasizing education, relationships, and growth beyond financial incentives.
“[Drexel] is an experiential learning institution, and we offer experiences to the players. We achieve that goal, and they have a great experience. They learn, they grow, they become part of the community. Then, a Power 5 school comes in and says, ‘We value this person. We value the work that you put in as a coach.’ As a Drexel community, that’s something to be said about the work that we’re doing as well.”
The landscape of college basketball will continue to change with the ever-changing NIL rules. Drexel’s focus on relationships and opportunities may help it retain players, but it remains to be seen if experience can compete with money elsewhere.