LOS ANGELES — When dressing for pre-practice media availability, Mick Cronin is about as casual as they come. But on Oct. 3, the UCLA men’s basketball coach made a conscious decision with his outfit.

He sported a black T-shirt with blue-outlined lettering, reading “Men of Westwood” – the Bruins’ affiliated NIL collective, which he believes will soon regain the freedom to facilitate lofty deals to transfers and recruits without heavy resistance.

“That’s why I’m wearing this shirt,” Cronin said, chuckling as he pointed to his Men of Westwood threads, indicating it was a deliberate act of support.

Because of frustration and backlog with NIL Go, Cronin is aligned with others believing a return to a previous reality, where collectives can facilitate business-oriented deals without having to

See Full Page