Mack Brown predicts student-athletes will become university employees with NIL

North Carolina head coach Mack Brown had a bold prediction for where college athletics is headed — albeit the boldness of the idea fades by the day. On the “Paul Finebaum Show” this week, Brown said he thinks in the next few years, schools and athletes will move to an employee-employer relationship with regards to intercollegiate athletics.

Brown has some concerns about this, but seems to be anticipating it more than predicting it at this point. He doesn’t seem to think college sports has a chance to undo this Pandora’s Box that has been opened.

“So I think we’re going to see major changes over the next two years. I think we’ll see student student athletes becoming employees of universities. I think we’ll more of a salary cap. Athletes will start getting the same amount of money. Whether the collective goes back inside the university, because then it gets under some Title IX jurisdiction or stays out, who knows,” Brown said.

Brown is also concerned about the increased pressure to donate being put on alumni and various other athletic boosters.

On top of asking them to buy season tickets, make donations to capital campaigns for facilities and fund coaching contracts, they’re now being asked to fund the NIL pool for their respective schools.

Brown questioned the sustainability of the increased ask.

“But I do feel like right now, we’re not being fair to our alums. Because our biggest boosters are getting asked for season tickets, they’re getting asked about facilities, they’re getting asked to pay for coaches and coaches buyouts are way too high. It’s unbelievable,” Brown said. “But now we’re asking them — we’ve got 28 sports at North Carolina. We’re asking them for money for all 28 sports, to be in a collective, and so we’re just unfair.”

NIL was a factor in North Carolina working to retain Drake Maye, Brown said

While it wasn’t persuasive to Maye, a North Carolina legacy with immense family ties to the school, Brown dove into the bidding war that took place behind the scenes.

When Finebaum commented Brown could write a book on what he saw this offseason, the 71-year-old coach delivered a hilarious response.

“I’d probably need some people to die before I write the book. I’d be sued by people if I couldn’t prove it,” Brown said. “You’ve got recruit guys that want to be at your school and aren’t going to take $50,000, $100,000, $500,000 to go somewhere else because they grew up wanting to come to your school.”