Bill Belichick stresses importance of education in 'very complicated' NIL landscape

Following a decorated career in the NFL, Bill Belichick ventured into a new and ever-changing landscape in college football. In his first season at North Carolina, he watched as the NIL era evolved and rev-share arrived.

As he assessed the “complicated” space, Belichick noted the importance of an education as athletes go through their careers and beyond. But he sees a balance between the academic part of the equation and athletes earning money through NIL deals.

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Belichick also knows more change could be on the way as the NCAA seeks legislation from Congress. President Donald Trump also took a strong interest in college athletics, and multiple committees formed after a roundtable in March. While the SCORE Act hit another roadblock this week, negotiations are ongoing in the Senate about a potential bipartisan bill.

“It’s very complicated,” Belichick told Fox News’ Sean Hannity about the NIL landscape. “That’s all I can say. It’s very complicated. … There are a lot of forces at work there. The student-athletes and their experience at the school and their education – which is a lifelong education. Football ends for everybody whenever it ends, but it doesn’t last forever as a player. The education is important, so it’s a balance of all those things.

“Certainly, there’s a lot of money in college football. A lot of money comes into the school, how that gets distributed to the players – not just football players, but basketball and other sports – is also a question. Some of that is in the hands of Congress. I know there are bills in the House and the Senate. President Trump’s involved in that too, as well, as is Coach [Nick] Saban. Whatever that process is, however it turns out, I think there are a lot of different points of view. What ultimately will be decided is, really, way beyond me.”

Bill Belichick: UNC will work under ‘whatever the rules are’

In addition to NIL and revenue-sharing, eligibility is also becoming a big part of the conversation. The NCAA is considering a “5-for-5,” age-based eligibility rule, and On3’s Pete Nakos reported the model is expected to be discussed this week when the Division I Cabinet and Board meet. No action items are currently expected, though.

With potential rule changes on the horizon, Bill Belichick said North Carolina will be ready for whatever lies ahead. His focus remains on setting up the Tar Heels players not only for their futures on the football field, but also life once their careers are over.

“I’ll just go back to whatever the rules are, whatever the policies are, then that’s what we’ll work under,” Belichick said. “But I’ll always do the best that I can to educate the student-athletes not just on the football field and not just academically, but also life lessons, as we talked about, because football really is a game of life.

“Football is a team of teams. … We all have a team and we’re all part of a team. That’s what football is. It’s a team of teams.”