North Carolina news: Tar Heels being investigated for NIL compliance violations

The Bill Belichick era with North Carolina football has been nothing short of horrible. UNC missed a bowl for the first time since 2018, the last year of Larry Fedora as the head coach. In the first year under Belichick, the team went 4-8. There were complaints about how the program was run, made by their former starting quarterback. Then, on Monday, General Manager Michael Lombardi was put on administrative leave by North Carolina.

Now, there is more information coming out about the state of the program, according to Pablo Torre.

“BREAKING: In addition to the Mike Lombardi HR matter, the University of North Carolina football team is also being investigated by the College Sports Commission — the entity which handles compliance and enforcement of NCAA and NIL rules,” Torre posted on X, formerly Twitter.

The College Sports Commission was designed to manage and enforce the new rules around NIL, specifically in Division I athletics. They review Name, Image, and Likeness agreements to make sure they reflect true market value and valid business purpose, instead of making NIL a pay-to-play situation.

There is currently no direct connection between the NIL investigation and Lombardi being placed on leave.

“The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has placed Michael Lombardi, general manager for the Carolina football program, on paid administrative leave, effective immediately,” the school announced. “As is standard procedure with personnel matters, leadership, staff, and student-athletes are prohibited from addressing this topic further, and has no reflection on its merits.”

North Carolina has spent a record amount on NIL for the university, according to Brian Murphy of WRAL News.

Attempts to circumnavigate NIL rules could result in limitations on NIL use or being fined up to 20 percent of their football budget.