It’s a new era of football that’s slowly gaining pace at UNC under Bill Belichick’s leadership. Unlike the NFL, Belichick will have to deal with NIL and collectives to keep the best players in the country at Chapel Hill.
Michael Lombardi Shares NIL Strategy of Bill Belichick and Team
The veteran coach seems to already have a solution, as his new GM, Michael Lombardi, has devised a strategy to effectively utilize the NIL money and not get muddled in the rat race. The Tar Heels have collectives, so they will go with a grading system.
After 50 years in the NFL, Belichick transitioned to college football in 2025. It will be his first NCAA stint at the age of 72 after achieving nearly every accolated at the pro level. He has already started his recruiting trail by visiting high schools and hosting players at the university. Recently, Michaels Lombardi shared UNC’s strategy to utilize NIL.
“We have a collective,” he said on On3. “So, we know what’s in the collective, but in any system, you have to have a monetary value; you have to have a system. So, if you’re a starter on the team, a specific value will be placed on what level of starter you are.
“That’s why you have to have a grading system. You just can’t arbitrarily say, ‘I like this guy, like that guy.’ We’re not picking fruit here. You have to have a grading system. And so when the grade reflects what you pay.”
Lombardi expressed, “It’s an amazing thing. Everybody says this guy’s a first-rounder, or this guy’s a second-rounder. Well, that’s insignificant. The first rounder makes ‘X’ and the second rounder makes ‘Y’. So what you’re doing is valuing the player, right? When you use those terms when they do it on television, they don’t value the player because it’s not their money.
“But when you’re picking in real life, you’re saying, I’m going to give this guy a guaranteed contract for five years. He’s worth ‘X’? Is that talent worth that? It’s the same thing you’re doing in high school on a lower level.”
KEEP READING: Texas HC Steve Sarkisian Sees Bill Belichick’s UNC Move As Sign of College Football Evolution
In the NFL, players try to remain loyal to teams as they are bound by contracts and clauses. However, in college, it’s a lot different. The transfer portal era has shackled the sanctity of programs, making it difficult for coaches.
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