“First we get fired on social media then in real life”: When $18 million worth Geno Auriemma shared how players have “no obligations” due to NIL deals

Geno Auriemma has witnessed the evolution of college basketball as head coach of UConn's women's basketball program over the last four decades. A key part of his success has been down to adapting to the changing nature of college basketball, often assembling a strong roster that has helped him to 11 national championships.

Last year, the NCAA tsigned a monstrous eight-year, $920 million deal with ESPN, which began in September 2024. In June 2024, Auriemma appeared at the Aspen Media Festival and sat down for a chat with MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle alongside LSU head coach Kim Mulkey.

When quizzed about how the deal could put head coaches under pressure, Geno Auriemma, who has a net worth of $18 million per Celebrity Net Worth, addressed how the new NIL policy has empowered athletes to switch colleges if things don't work out, hence endangering their jobs.

"If we don't deliver, first we get fired on social media and then we get fired in real life," said Geno Auriemma. "The dilemma now is, players don't get fired. Players don't deliver, they just pack up and leave and go to another school.

"So, there's a disconnect between what our obligation is to the game, which is a lot of pressure, and having 12 people and trying to get them to play together and try to live up to what the expectation level is. And then, you've got the player on this side who has tremendous freedom to come and go wherever they want to.

"So, the adults that run this organization have not figured out how to make this better for the athletes and better for the coaches so that the game can continue to grow." (11:12)

Geno Auriemma took a dig at the NIL structure

Since the NCAA introduced new rules to the NIL policy in 2021, some college athletes have cashed in by signing massive deals with various brands, making it difficult for colleges to recruit some top talents over recent years.

On October 25, Geno Auriemma slammed the impact made by the new NIL policy on the current state of college basketball during a press conference.

Per SNY, Auriemma said, "Well, the NIL part, I think it's a test. It's a test for whether people are full of sh** or whether they're serious. So it's a test for, do we keep the charade of student-athlete and amateurism or do we call it what it is — semi-professional, pay-for-play sports?"

The Huskies made a strong start to 2025, scoring a convincing 77-45 victory over the Marquette Golden Eagles. They will now head to Pennsylvania to face the Villanova Wildcats in their next game on January 5.