Listened to Aaron Torres yesterday and he talked a bit about the UNC predicament with the ACC and football. The scuttlebutt for a while now (have heard it from others than Torres too) is that UNC is diverting NIL funds to football over basketball. This plays in to UNC promoting to Caleb Wilson that he can make money in endorsements at UNC (as opposed to guaranteed up-front money).
Duke and UNC are in a conference destined for collapse. By marketing their programs to the big boys (SEC / BIG 10), it's their single best chance of not getting UConn'ed into a bubble major conference. While not mentioned explicitly, Duke is also throwing some of the highest figures we've seen for a QB in ever (reportedly >5 mil).
More holistically, Kentucky should be able to use their position to an advantage. We are not in a position of desperation, and we have a secure spot in the SEC. This, to me, is a moment of opportunity for Kentucky basketball. I am not talking about diverting money from football, per se, but through NIL & basketball being a more independent franchise, Kentucky could have a chance to land some haymakers in basketball on two blue blood programs.
On a more editorial note, I have a high amount of skpeticism that the money will actually inprove the prospects of UNC or Duke football longterm. They certainly have the ability of making waves in the ACC, but personally I'd be surprised if either go beyond that (even with Bill Belichick). If their plan works, they ultimately end up as a small fish in a big pond of the SEC / Big 10.
It's interesting to me
Duke and UNC are in a conference destined for collapse. By marketing their programs to the big boys (SEC / BIG 10), it's their single best chance of not getting UConn'ed into a bubble major conference. While not mentioned explicitly, Duke is also throwing some of the highest figures we've seen for a QB in ever (reportedly >5 mil).
More holistically, Kentucky should be able to use their position to an advantage. We are not in a position of desperation, and we have a secure spot in the SEC. This, to me, is a moment of opportunity for Kentucky basketball. I am not talking about diverting money from football, per se, but through NIL & basketball being a more independent franchise, Kentucky could have a chance to land some haymakers in basketball on two blue blood programs.
On a more editorial note, I have a high amount of skpeticism that the money will actually inprove the prospects of UNC or Duke football longterm. They certainly have the ability of making waves in the ACC, but personally I'd be surprised if either go beyond that (even with Bill Belichick). If their plan works, they ultimately end up as a small fish in a big pond of the SEC / Big 10.
It's interesting to me
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