North Carolina football’s hiring of Bill Belichick as its new head coach just set a standard of what it will take to be competitive, and the ripple effects will be felt in the commonwealth and all of college football.
It has little to do with Belichick’s stature as arguably the greatest coach in NFL history with his six Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots.
Carolina has rarely been more than a bit player in football, its best years often smothered by consecutive streaks of mediocrity. Belichick may or may not bring the Tar Heels ACC championships and College Football Playoff berths.
But Carolina is about to spend like he will.
The numbers are right there in the contract.
North Carolina is pledging $13 million of its revenue sharing for players, which resulted from the proposed House v. NCAA settlement allowing universities to pay players directly, to go toward football.
And that amount doesn’t include what could come from name, image and likeness contributions, which according to some reports would inflate UNC’s total budget for roster construction at $20 million.
Keep in mind that the total amount available for revenue sharing for schools to distribute among their athletics department will reportedly be in the $20 million range. Schools are not obligated to, and some flat out cannot afford to, max out.
Reaching that $20 million price tag for football might just be the new cost of admission to be an elite team.
Carolina’s move could very well signal the beginning of a new arms race when a historically middle-of-the-pack school is willing to spend like the big dogs.
The question for schools — including Louisville and Kentucky — is do they have the appetite to try to keep up with spending?
U of L athletics director Josh Heird has said that he anticipated the university paying the full allocation of revenue sharing. But he has not disclosed the exact amount that will go toward football.
Louisville appears to be well positioned with its collective; 502 Circle ranked ninth nationally according to On3 in a study it did in August.
UK football coach Mark Stoops has periodically expressed his disdain for trying to raise funds for its collective, but in a news conference last month said the school was “in a better position” than it has ever been.
UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart has also not put a dollar amount on how much of the revenue sharing will go to football but has indicated that football will be a priority.
It has to be or schools risk being left behind quickly.
The top dollar isn’t going to stay at just $20 million.
How much collectives pay out is not public knowledge, but Ohio State athletics director Ross Bjork told Yahoo! Sports in July that the Buckeyes’ football roster was paid “around $20 million.”
Now just guessing here that football at Ohio State will consume at least half, if not the majority, of its revenue sharing dollars and the earnings of the Buckeyes’ future rosters could exceed $30 million.
Sound outrageous? Google “Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne letter”
Just this week, Byrne wrote an open letter to donors pleading for more NIL donations, implying that current players and recruits were being lured away by “promises of million-dollar paydays,” telling them, “it’s time for the Bama nation to fight back.”
“It’s impossible to ignore what is taking place in college athletics,” Byrne wrote. “Hungry fan bases are acting decisively to give their respective programs competitive advantages. We must respond. We are Alabama.”
About two decades ago, when schools were making hand-over-fist money it didn’t have to share with athletes, they began pouring that revenue into facilities. Thus the proliferation of indoor practice facilities, even in warm-weather places including Miami and Georgia.
When the buildings weren’t enough, it then morphed into who could have the coolest accessories, such as a barbershop at Alabama, a recording studio at Auburn. The excess was stunning right down to the ostrich leather seats at Texas in its team meeting room that ran for more than $1,000 per seat.
Coaches’ salaries soared, too, for head coaches like Clemson’s Dabo Swinney to reach eight figures. It then became fashionable for coordinators to start taking home million-dollar salaries, too.
To an extent, the best football programs have always had to pay to play. At least now in this latest spending escalation, the players who’ve made all of this possible will get a piece of the pie.
Reach sports columnist C.L. Brown at clbrown1@gannett.com, follow him on X at @CLBrownHoops and subscribe to his newsletter at profile.courier-journal.com/newsletters/cl-browns-latest to make sure you never miss one of his columns.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: NCAA football: Will UK, Louisville be able to compete with top teams?
