Lombardi argues that a set structure that parallels a salary cap can offer stability under the guidance of Belichick.An underdiscussed effect of NIL payouts is the potential locker room risks associated with different pay scales. Some teams may elect to reward star power accordingly and rely on their culture withstanding. Others might have a perspective […]
Lombardi argues that a set structure that parallels a salary cap can offer stability under the guidance of Belichick.An underdiscussed effect of NIL payouts is the potential locker room risks associated with different pay scales. Some teams may elect to reward star power accordingly and rely on their culture withstanding. Others might have a perspective that sees merit in spreading resources and hesitates to compromise unity.UNC general manager Michael Lombardi detailed how Belichick plans to assess payouts among recruits on the Pat McAfee Show on Thursday.Even NIL, on its pure, intended level of name, image, and likeness, is a monetary valuation of a player’s brand and marketing. There are exceptions, but typically the top earners are some of the best in their sport.“Whenever you have a salary cap, you have to have a value,” Lombardi said. “If you’re taking a young high school prospect who’s very good, you’re going to have to give them some money to entice them to come to your school. But there has to be a ceiling on what you can give them. We’re not like Jerry Jones. We’re not in the oil-drilling business. We’re not hoping to hit a well or gusher. You’ve got to pay for performance as you go, right?”Revenue-sharing is on the horizon with the impending House v. NCAA settlement, and some schools that opted in seem to already be operating under that framework.However, it’s different to hear general managers directly say they will pay players based on it out loud in a sport still considered amateurism.He has enough wealth and accomplishments to have Tar Heels players’ best interests in mind.Bill Belichick’s NFL management experience puts a team like the UNC Tar Heels in a unique position.“I think you have to do it just like the draft,” Lombardi said. “The draft is money, OK? When you say that a guy is going to be an immediate starter and impact the team, that’s a Top 10 pick. That Top 10 pick makes X amount of dollars. If you say the guy’s going to be a potential backup player who could eventually start, that’s probably a fourth- or fifth-round pick. So, that comes with a value.”The infusion of NIL into college football has moved programs closer to a management model that mirrors the NFL.He adds that there would be a scale for players to come in and earn a certain amount, with potential future earnings not just based on starting but how players start, implying a pay-for-play type structure that is disallowed under current NIL guidelines.But they’re operating under the guise of NIL deals when it’s inarguably not based on their name, image, and likeness. Performance-based pay is clearly in place and has been since its inception — when it was under the table.Lombardi is correct that Belichick might be a crucial figure in this NIL era — he was a de facto general manager at the NFL level when he was with the New England Patriots.They’re also operating in a way that directly implies an employer-employee relationship, something the NCAA and schools have continued to avoid establishing.As evidenced by the transfer portal market with record million-dollar payouts and several for star high school recruits, a player’s value matters.Although the House v. NCAA settlement will allow schools to pay athletes directly, it has not yet received approval. The implications of Title IX further complicate the situation. Yet, teams are clearly negotiating contracts with parameters contingent on its eventual approval.
