Players are obviously now allowed to make money in college. A few years ago, that was viewed as a major issue in college sports. Now, however, it's completely different. These guys can get paid millions of dollars and nobody will say a word about it.
Fortunately for North Carolina, it has that benefit. The Tar Heels can pay anybody they want, as much as they want, because they have nearly unlimited funds compared to most other college basketball programs.
Perhaps some other powerful programs have more, but to put it lightly, North Carolina isn't in a bad spot money-wise. It wasn't a few years ago, either, when Armando Bacot was on the team. He recently spoke about NIL money and how crazy things have gotten in college basketball. He even said he made life-changing money, including over $2 million in college.
“I had no clue," Bacot told former North Carolina player Theo Pinson in a recent interview, per USA Today. "I didn’t know what I was doing. Because you go from that to like being a millionaire, that fast. It was crazy because we didn’t realize it. I made $2 million plus. I’m saying that humbly though. That speaks on the brand of Carolina because if I didn’t go to Carolina, these deals with Turbo Tax, all those people, they wouldn’t do with me.
“If you go to Carolina, you handle business, you go out there and play, somewhat be marketable, it pays. That’s what I’m saying. I could never say a bad word about Carolina. I got life-changing money. I’m from Richmond. I got life-changing money in college just off playing basketball. That’s why I’m forever thankful for Carolina, the brand, because to be able to make over $2 million just in college is crazy.”
Had Bacot been around in this era, even though he was playing just a few seasons ago, he'd be making at least two-plus million dollars per year, if reported numbers are accurate.
Obviously, numbers go up each and every year, but the former North Carolina big man was one of the top players in the country year in and year out. He would have been paid very handsomely if he were in this era.
