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Charles Barkley admits giving 'legal or illegal' money to Auburn

Originally posted on CFB-HQ on SI | By James Parks | Last updated May 14, 2025 1:06 PM ET

Charles Barkley wants Auburn to be great at football and basketball, but even he is drawing the line when it comes to NIL donations to the school.

In an era when schools are constantly asking boosters for more to help their NIL collectives, Barkley said he’s happy to help, especially given all the cash he’s given over the years.

Including money the NCAA would prefer he didn’t donate.

“I’ve given more money to Auburn, legal or illegal, than any athlete in the history of the school,” Barkley admitted at the Regions Pro-Am in Birmingham.

“There’s not a single person in the world who’s given more money to Auburn, legal or illegal, than me, but the notion that I’m going to come up with a couple million dollars every year so that we can be good at basketball and football, that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

WATCH: A very blunt Charles Barkley on the state of sports: "College athletics is so f**cked up right now."

Added that Nick Saban is the right man to serve on Donald Trump's presidential commission for college athletics, but "it might not be that simple."@wsfa12sports… pic.twitter.com/VETJ8xigB5
— Davis Baker (@DavisBakerTV) May 14, 2025

Barkley spent a lifetime building up what he has, and he doesn’t want to give it all away just because Auburn has to play perpetual catch-up in a runaway system that, in his words, is “so f-ked up right now.”

“I’ve been rich for a long time. I plan to stay that way. But the notion that I’m going to give Auburn millions of dollars every year so we can be good at sports, that’s just not going to happen,” he said.

“I’m really proud of what I’ve given Auburn and I’m going to continue to give them money, but I’m not going to give them millions of dollars every year so we can be good at sports. That’s just stupid.”