Virginia made March Madness instead of Indiana State. It was a decision that left college basketball fans in shambles, so Pat McAfee is trying to make it right.
He offered a $150,000 NIL deal to the Sycamores!
Their agreement is contingent on the next 14 days. They must win the National Invitation Tournament.
Star center Robbie Avila, best known to some as Cream Abdul-Jabbar, Steph Blurry or Larry Nerd, joined the progrum on Thursday. The 6-foot-10, 240-pound center averaged 17.3 points, 3.9 assists and 6.7 rebounds per game this season. He shot 53.8% from the field and 39.2% from beyond the arc en route to viral fame.
Avila’s signature on-court look also helped him to become a household name.
Even though Indiana State went 28-6 in the Missouri Valley Conference, its loss to Drake in the MVC Championship proved costly. The Sycamores landed on the wrong side of the bubble as one of the First Four Out on Selection Sunday. It was heartbreaking for a team that deserved a chance to shine.
As a result of the snub, Avila and his team received a No. 1 seed in the NIT. They expect to win and anything short of a title would be a major letdown.
If proving the NCAA Tournament committee wrong was not motivation enough, every player on Indiana State will receive $10,000 with a win. McAfee made that promise to Avila on his show.
Should the Sycamores win the NIT, they will each receive $10K in exchange for a promotional post on social media. The latter half of that deal makes it “legal” by NIL rules. (Even though there aren’t any!)
LET'S GO WIN THIS THING @Robbie_Avila30 #PMSLive https://t.co/lCiMIVWA41 pic.twitter.com/YPq4XnTUhV
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 21, 2024
Indiana State defeated SMU by nine in the First Round. It will face Minnesota on Sunday.
From there, should the Sycamores keep winning, they will play Bradley or Cincinnati in the Quarterfinals. Four wins stand between Robbie Avila, Indiana State and an NIT championship— and $10,000 each!