As it pertains to navigating the NIL generally, but with an eye towards the Kofi situation more specifically, I think my pitch if I'm Illinois or a similarly situated school (ie a D1 school that is not a blue blood and is chasing elite talent) is the concept of "penny wise, pound foolish."
Let's set aside development and likelihood of getting to the NBA at each program for a second and just consider the money aspect. In terms of 1-2 years of NIL money, most D1 schools are not gonna compete with the big boys, that's just the reality. But would you rather get a year or 2 of big money, or a solid source of income for life? With all due respect to Kofi, Kentucky fans are not gonna remember his name in 5 years; hell, I'm not sure Cal is gonna remember his name in 5 years. The reality is, the marketability there is "Kentucky player", not "Kofi Cockburn." That's why I think Kentucky would be a mistake for him, and and that's the angle I would push to any major recruit in this landscape. You can be a legend here, with marketability and opportunity forever, or you can be the man there for 2 years before you fade into oblivion. Obviously if you become a star NBA player it's a different story, but considering the old adage that "99% of D1 athletes go pro in something else", you need to consider the possibility that you're not gonna be a star at the next level (or even have an extended career). What does the next stage of your life after basketball look like, whether that's in 2 years or 20? Where are you gonna sell more Cockburn jerseys and t-shirts in the next 5 decades?
Ultimately, IMO I think its critical for the non-blue bloods to be very protectionist of their brand in this landscape. "It's just business" goes both ways. There's no need for animosity, beef, jealousy, vindictiveness, etc. but I would suggest that most programs need to be very selective as to who gets their continuing support and affiliation. Programs like ours thrive on taking undervalued recruits who didn't have those blue blood offers and developing them into the kind of player any team would take in a heartbeat (like Kofi). But if you're going to allow them to come here for 2 years, transfer to the blue blood, and maintain all their status and standing at your university, you will quickly become nothing more than a feeder school with no extended stability or success. So sure Kofi, you can go to Kentucky, but if you dont have a long NBA career, don't come back to us looking for merchandise sales, marketing opportunities, cushy administrative/coaching jobs, jersey retirements, etc. while lamenting that Cal and the Kentucky fans forgot who you are. Again, no animosity, "it's just business."
It's up to Kofi (and hundreds like him now and in the future) to make these decisions for themselves. For a select few, the blue blood route makes sense. But from the "penny wise, pound foolish" standpoint, I think most players would be much better suited for life after basketball having left a legacy at a non-blue blood versus being just another player at ___. And that would be the heart of my recruiting pitch for any recruit asking as to what kind of financial opportunities they can expect at Illinois/[insert non-blue blood].
