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Duke is doing NIL better for so many reasons.
After being regarded as a nice regional private school through the 1970s, Duke had a meteoric rise mostly from the national brand Mike Krzyzewski’s basketball program helped build into a global university. An active alumni base, many of whom acquired great wealth, gave a lot of money back to their alma mater. So it was no surprise, in the chaos of the first official year of NIL, Blue Devils freshman star Paolo Banchero reportedly reaped more than a million dollars for minimum return in value.
UNC seemed stymied from being the flagship of the state university system, which is no longer as rosy of a place as it once was. As so much money was being raised by four-year funding drives into the billions, Carolina’s alumni base became a large target for every other organization, foundation and charity on campus.
That was one reason the university low-keyed NIL to much of the public and tried to make sure it didn’t fall behind on the field and court. UNC is now in the shadow of Duke’s NIL success, which has helped them continue signing 5-star basketball classes.
Their fall Duke Magazine edition has junior hoop star Tyrese Proctor on the front cover and a full-page picture inside. They didn’t reveal how much NIL dough Proctor was making in the eight-page article titled MONEY BALL but divulged a few of his business partners, such as Bath and Body Works and Express men’s clothing. It also features stars of their ACC champion women’s track and field team. Certainly, somehow these athletes are paid for their NIL by the magazine or its sponsors.
The spread also introduces Rachel Baker, the first female general manager of a major college basketball program in charge of NIL. She has worked in the NBA and with Nike and advises the players’ path to the NBA and their NIL prospects. Former Duke football player Terrell Smith is the assistant director of athletics/NIL strategy.
UNC has had Armando Bacot and Elliot Cadeau on national TV ads but has never been out front with their NIL program. Mack Brown speaks publicly about how far behind they are in their NIL bank account and Hubert Davis, who lost at least one big man prospect from not meeting the kids’ hand-out demand, won’t say much at all about NIL in recruiting but does share advice with his players that stem from his time making and losing sponsorship deals during his 12 years in the NBA.
The newly reorganized collective CarolinaNIL has a pretty website but still has the problem of asking donors they have hit up before. Maybe the settlement in the NCAA-Power 4 conference lawsuit will net UNC and athletics a lot of money, but nobody quite knows what that will be beyond the athletes’ cuts.
What is happening down the road in Durham is called the Duke Difference, and it seems to be working right now.
Featured image via Todd Melet
Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
UNC seems to be either reluctant, embarrassed or sometimes act aloof about the reality that NIL is, in many instances, much more important to top talent than any program or tradition. One advantage private universities have always had over public institutions is the simple fact that FOIA requests from media on the inner workings of programs were ignored well before NIL became reality.