"They're a bunch of idiots and fools": Auburn legend Charles Barkley makes scathing remarks on NCAA amid transfer portal chaos

Auburn legend Charles Barkley has slammed the NCAA amid the transfer portal chaos this offseason. During an appearance on Outkick's "Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich" on Thursday, the former NBA superstar didn't hold back while discussing the current state of college basketball.

“The NCAA, they’re a bunch of idiots and fools. They have ruined the sport,” Barkley said (20:17). “I don’t know how you put the toothpaste back into the tube.”

Barkley also explained that he wasn't against college athletes being paid, but voiced his concerns on the way the NIL deals are done.

"This notion that you have to come up with tens of millions of dollars to pay kids to play basketball, and have them be free agents every year and transfer to another school and get more money every year. Like, we don't even get to do that in the NBA," Barkley said. "Can you imagine if players in the NBA got to be a free agent every year? I'm not opposed to players getting paid, I want to make that clear."

"But, this notion we gotta give college kids tens of millions of dollars a year, and basketball is the worst, because you're only gonna get a great player for six months. I don't even see how you're gonna get the return on investment."

One of the main reasons why the NIL policy has drawn criticism is that there is no salary cap in the NCAA. So, student-athletes have been negotiating lucrative deals with teams in regard to transfers.

The likes of PJ Haggerty, Yaxel Lendeborg, and Bennett Stirtz are among some of the most sought-after players who entered the transfer portal this offseason to land better NIL deals.

Charles Barkley played three seasons at Auburn before entering the NBA

Former Auburn Tigers star Charles Barkley - Source: Getty

Charles Barkley played three seasons of college basketball at Auburn. He averaged 14.1 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game during his time with the Tigers.

Barkley was named to the second-team All-SEC in 1982 and 1983. He was the SEC Player of the Year in 1984.

Barkley declared for the 1984 NBA draft, where the Philadelphia 76ers drafted him with the No. 5 pick. He also played for the Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets, earning 11 All-Star honors across 16 years in the pro league.