Offseason 2026

[BillyLP]

Can foreign players participate in NIL?

Here's what AI says regarding NIL and foreign athletes:

Visa Restrictions: F-1 visa regulations classify most NIL activities (like social media endorsements) as "work," which is illegal without authorized employment.

Passive Income Exception: International students may receive passive income, such as licensing fees from selling merchandise or royalties, provided they are not actively promoting or performing services.

Overseas Work: NIL deals can be executed while the athlete is outside the U.S. or during international team trips, as seen with some high-profile basketball players.

Risks: Engaging in NIL activity while in the U.S. risks violating visa status, potentially leading to deportation or re-entry issues.

I ask because maybe attracting foreign players is more desirable now that NIL is so impactful. Foreign players might not leave as quickly as domestic.

There are a bunch of legal loopholes to make sure that international players can basically have equal access to NIL funds now, so there is not a real advantage to focus on one or the other.

[BigGibber]

The portal is officially open. BG players listed:

Johnea Donahue
Taya Ellis
Jasmine Fearne
Laila Harrison
Paige Kohler

Plus 3 Grads = 8 gone and 5 left:
Jaedyn Cook
Joniyah Bland-Fitzpatrick
Ky'Aira Miller
Sofia Moschen
Lauren Gerken

[Flipper]

Yeesh...things are not looking good here...assuming there aren't going to be any other departures. Then things will look absolutely horrifying

[Hockey John]

Yeesh...things are not looking good here...assuming there aren't going to be any other departures. Then things will look absolutely horrifying

There are 981 players in the transfer portal according to On3 Women's sports. This problem is not unique to BG. Central Michigan's two best players entered the portal as well as a few from MIami to name a few.

[BigGibber]

Update to previous post:

According to On3 Transfer Portal Sofia Moschen has entered the portal

Johnea Donahue
Taya Ellis
Jasmine Fearne
Laila Harrison
Paige Kohler
Sofia Moschen

Plus 3 Grads = 9 gone and 4 left:

Jaedyn Cook
Joniyah Bland-Fitzpatrick
Ky'Aira Miller
Lauren Gerken

[threestooges]

This is a very depressing time to be a fan of MAC & mid-major basketball. While I'd love to blame Coach Chmiel for some of the exodus, the fact is this is happening all over the MAC and all over the country, even at some of the so-called top-tier schools. I understand why players are changing schools, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

[mbenecke]

This is a very depressing time to be a fan of MAC & mid-major basketball. While I'd love to blame Coach Chmiel for some of the exodus, the fact is this is happening all over the MAC and all over the country, even at some of the so-called top-tier schools. I understand why players are changing schools, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

Very sad, indeed.

On the men’s side, I believe I read that all but 1 of the 1st team, 2nd team, and 3rd team all-MAC players are in the portal. Sports at this level will never be the same.

[BillyLP]

Gotta pay the money. I'm actually surprised there haven't been a couple of schools in the MAC to step up their NIL game to a much higher level. Only UMass and Akron are said to have NIL budgets of $1mm+ for basketball, and it's not like each school doesn't have extremely wealthy boosters (particularly Miami, Ohio and WMU). I'm not necessarily endorsing it (even though if I would have won that $1billion powerball I was 100% planning to bankroll an all-american roster for a couple years) but I'm just surprised it hasn't happened.

[Flipper]

Yeesh...things are not looking good here...assuming there aren't going to be any other departures. Then things will look absolutely horrifying

There are 981 players in the transfer portal according to On3 Women's sports. This problem is not unique to BG. Central Michigan's two best players entered the portal as well as a few from MIami to name a few.

Don't care how many players are in the portal or how many have left other schools...we were a mediocre team last year and just about all the decent talent we had is leaving. Given our current coach's track record here...I'm not optimistic that he's going to find replacements that are as good..let alone better..as the players who are departing

[threestooges]

Yeesh...things are not looking good here...assuming there aren't going to be any other departures. Then things will look absolutely horrifying

There are 981 players in the transfer portal according to On3 Women's sports. This problem is not unique to BG. Central Michigan's two best players entered the portal as well as a few from MIami to name a few.

Don't care how many players are in the portal or how many have left other schools...we were a mediocre team last year and just about all the decent talent we had is leaving. Given our current coach's track record here...I'm not optimistic that he's going to find replacements that are as good..let alone better..as the players who are departing

I could not agree more.

[threestooges]

Gotta pay the money. I'm actually surprised there haven't been a couple of schools in the MAC to step up their NIL game to a much higher level. Only UMass and Akron are said to have NIL budgets of $1mm+ for basketball, and it's not like each school doesn't have extremely wealthy boosters (particularly Miami, Ohio and WMU). I'm not necessarily endorsing it (even though if I would have won that $1billion powerball I was 100% planning to bankroll an all-american roster for a couple years) but I'm just surprised it hasn't happened.

I'm gonna be even more depressed & angry if one of our players in the portal ends up at UMass.

[HoopsFan]

This is like CKLW "And the hits just keep on coming"

The last article I read on WBB said the body count is up to 7 transfers. Woods the latest victim. Guess the NIL money wasn't enough.

HoopsFan

[Hockey John]

This is like CKLW "And the hits just keep on coming"

The last article I read on WBB said the body count is up to 7 transfers. Woods the latest victim. Guess the NIL money wasn't enough.

HoopsFan

Woods is not in the portal. She played her years and is out of eligibility.

Last update that I could find has 1197 players in the transfer portal.

Ball State has 6 in the portal and Miami and Toledo have 5 each. Kent lost their best player and Central Michigan lost both of their stars. Again, it is far from just a BG problem.

[mbenecke]

I don't think anyone is arguing it's just a BG problem. It's an issue at our level across all sports.

But our coach is also just objectively navigating it worse than the rest of the league - if he was doing any better, we'd be improving and winning more games. That's unfortunately just not happening. Program is stagnant right now. And I do get it, it's hard to build anything year over year with a completely new roster every season, but everyone else is dealing with that and still winning or improving at a higher clip than we are. it feels like this program is sadly spinning its tires right now, without an obvious path to getting better. Tough pill to swallow for one of the programs on campus with the most success in its history.

[Flipper]

I don't think anyone is arguing it's just a BG problem. It's an issue at our level across all sports.

But our coach is also just objectively navigating it worse than the rest of the league - if he was doing any better, we'd be improving and winning more games. That's unfortunately just not happening. Program is stagnant right now. And I do get it, it's hard to build anything year over year with a completely new roster every season, but everyone else is dealing with that and still winning or improving at a higher clip than we are. it feels like this program is sadly spinning its tires right now, without an obvious path to getting better. Tough pill to swallow for one of the programs on campus with the most success in its history.

Yep.....