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Five-star basketball recruit Nate Ament is auctioning off his college recruitment. The highly touted prospect partnered with crowdfunding site Fanstake which allows fans of NCAA programs to “stake” money to the college they’d like to see the forward attend.
That money becomes NIL income when Ament makes his commitment decision. The Louisville Cardinals have been the frontrunner in the race for some time.
Fans have offered up an $87,000 pledge with their own heard-earned cash. That’s nearly double the total of the next closest suitor, Kentucky.
That investment comes along with the perceived notion that Louisville will ultimately be Ament’s college destination. Most recruiting experts have listed the Cardinals as his top choice.
They’d hoped to hear their names called when the forward made his previously scheduled commitment announcement at the McDonald’s All-American Game on Tuesday. That will now have to wait.
Louisville basketball 2025 target Nate Ament says during a @McDAAG media availability that he is going to push back his commitment. Was originally planning to announce during tomorrow’s game at the Barclays Center.
— Brooks Holton (@brooksHolton) March 31, 2025
Nate Ament pushed back his announcement, which angered a number of Louisville supporters. “I’m done, time to move along,” one follower said on social media.
“UofL needs to pull out of the sweepstakes… fans have poured their hard-earned cash to let the kid know we’re serious… but Louisville will be fine without him,” wrote another.
Ament pulled the string on the Cardinals after building the drama in the recruiting process. It seems a number of fans are done donating to that NIL fund following the change of heart.
The delay certainly isn’t a good sign for Louisville. He’s taken official visits to Duke, Kentucky, and Arkansas over the last two months. There is some good news should he ultimately choose to play for another school, though. The fanbase will get its money back.
“For schools that Ament doesn’t choose, Fanstake says those who pledged NIL money… will have their money credited back.”
When Nate Ament does ultimately make his decision, he’ll receive 90% of the Fanstake total pledged by that particular school’s fans. The other 10% will be split between his teammates and the company.
Ament is a 6-foot-9 wing from the state of Virginia. He’s listed as the No. 4 player in the country by ESPN. He recently narrowed his list of suitors to five. Those finalists include Arkansas, Duke, Kentucky, Tennessee, as well as the Cardinals.
“I’m still weighing my options for where I’ll play, and there’s a lot to consider, but it’s exciting to see how fans can get involved in helping me find the right fit.
-Nate Ament
He’s pushed his commitment date back, much to the dismay of the Louisville faithful. He’ll continue to weigh his options before pulling the trigger on a school.