iStockphoto / © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The UCLA basketball team whipped Big 10 rival Rutgers in conference play on Tuesday night. Bruins head coach Mick Cronin provided reasoning for that triumph after the fact.
He said the Scarlet Knights are too poor to compete. The playing field is uneven due to a lack of NIL salary cap.
Mick Cronin after UCLA’s win over Rutgers:
“There’s haves and have-nots in the money world. Coach Pikiell is really a great coach. It’s just a shame we don’t have a salary cap and everyone was playing even. But this is baseball, not the NFL. This is MLB.”
(🎥: @UCLAOn3) pic.twitter.com/D4cvT1A9Dn
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) February 4, 2026
“I give Rutgers credit,” he said. “They’ve got a lot of young kids. There’s haves and have-nots in the money world.
“Coach Pikiell is really a great coach. It’s just a shame we don’t have a salary cap, and everyone was playing even. But this is baseball, not the NFL.”
UCLA is the Dodgers. Rutgers is the A’s. The money is not the same. The Bruins can simply buy more talent.
Mick Cronin has invested in his team.
He made transfer Donovan Dent one of college basketball’s highest paid players upon signing with the Bruins in the offseason. UCLA is rumored to be among a handful of teams dropping at least $8 million on the 2025-26 roster.
Thus far, the investment has paid off. Cronin’s already led ULCA to four NCAA Basketball Tournaments, including a Final Four and two Sweet 16s.
This year, he appears destined for another postseason bid. The Bruins improved to 16-7 after beating Rutgers 98-66 on Tuesday. They were projected as a 10-seed in the latest bracketology and should improve following the convincing conference win.
Rutgers, meanwhile, made its NIL push last season, which failed.
Despite having a pair of Top 5 draft picks on the roster in Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, the Scarlet Knights went 15-17 to miss the NCAA Tournament.
Both players boasted NIL valuations above $1.5 million. Neither could help the program get wins.
Head coach Steve Pikiell was unable to capitalize last year. He’s paying for it this season with a dip in spending and talent.
Pikiell has Rutgers’ support.
Pikiell’s hands are tied, says Mick Cronin. The NIL budget is the reason for the Scarlet Knights’ 9-14 record and last place standing in Big 10 play.
With that being said, it appears that help is on the way. Rutgers AD Keli Zinn has pledged to provide more money for the basketball roster moving forward.
“We’re going to put (Pikiell) in a spot where we’re more on the same page with folks around the country who are his competitors… Over the past six months, (the main focal point has been) the investment in our rosters…
“You won’t see that immediately, but you’re going to see it show up in 2026-27 and more specifically in 2027-28.”
That’s good news for the Scarlet Knights, who are headed for a third straight losing season.