UNC’s Mack Brown Criticizes NIL ‘Amateurism Is Gone, We’re the Mini-NFL'

Legendary UNC football coach Mack Brown had strong words about the issues regarding NIL.

Jul 25, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; UNC Tar Heels head coach Mack Brown speaks to the media during the ACC Kickoff at Hilton Charlotte Uptown. / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Many coaches view NIL as a good thing, but just as many have shared different feelings towards student-athletes being paid. Most of the time, it isn't about the athletes getting paid, but rather the entire process.

With a lack of rules around the entire system, there's plenty of confusion.

Mack Brown, a legend in the college football world, understands better than anyone what the old NCAA used to be. When he started his coaching career in 1973, things looked much different than they do today.

Brown spoke about some of the changes he's seen in the NIL days, saying that more has changed in the past three years than in his first 47.

“There’s been more changes in my last three years than my first 47,” Brown said on ACC Network. “Somebody said today, ‘Why don’t you write a book about your first day at  and now the way things have changed?’ I said, ‘Some people have to die first’ – we couldn’t say all the things.”

No matter how much he seems to disagree with what's going on, it's the reality of the situation. It's either that he adjusts, or the college football world will eat him and the UNC program up.

The transfer portal is a story for another time, but Brown also has to deal with that, something that wasn't nearly as big of a deal just a few years ago.

Adjustment is the biggest thing a coach can do. Doing so doesn't mean adjusting in one area, however, as coaches are now dealing with new adjustments nearly every day.

“We’re dealing with things we’ve never dealt with before,” Brown said. “The people that can adjust and make it work are going to be the ones that have the best programs."

While he's willing to make those adjustments, he brought up an excellent point. The NCAA was always different than professional sports, as players were considered amateurs.

However, with the changes they've made with NIL, there's essentially no amateurism left. Whether the NCAA wants to admit that or not, they'd be lying if they believe athletes are still amateurs.

In fact, Brown believes that college football has changed so much that it's now the "mini-NFL."

“It’s not ideal for any of us. None of us voted for it but it’s here. Amateurism is gone. We’re the mini-NFL. So now we’ve got to figure out how to handle it.”

His assessment of the situation might be spot on, as the transfer portal, NIL, and other factors make it feel like free agency in the NFL.