Their absolute best chance to win a championship and play in the NCAA Tournament was to stay in Akron.
Their absolute best chance to make between $500,000 and $1.5 million was to transfer to a P5 program.
Compare Nate's income next season to any UA graduate walking across the stage this May. His income will dwarf the next closest earner by a factor of 10X. Hell...he'll be making $1,000,000 more than Enrique Freeman's made with the Pacers this season!
Nate's the #1 '25 UA earner, and no one else is even close. Okonkwo and Tavari will be second and third on the list of Class of '25 UA earners. Then, some schmuck with a Polymer Science Doctorate comes in 4th, pulling in around $150,000.
Playing time, championships, etc. do not factor into the transfer equation. As Don Olmeyer famously said: "The answer to all your questions is 'money'".