Former North Carolina big man Armando Bacot became a poster boy for NIL at the college basketball level over his last three seasons in Chapel Hill. The two-time All-American started a merchandise store, signed numerous sponsorship deals and appeared in a Netflix show after the NCAA enacted new NIL laws on July 1, 2021. He revealed he raked in more than $2 million as a college athlete during a recent interview with Theo Pinson on the Run Your Race podcast.
“I had no clue,” Bacot said regarding NIL coming into effect midway through his college career. “I didn’t know what I was doing. You go from [making no money] to being a millionaire fast. It was crazy. We didn’t realize it. I made $2+ million. I’m saying that humbly, though. That speaks of the brand at North Carolina. If I didn’t go to North Carolina, I wouldn’t have been doing those deals at Turbo Tax and others.”
Bacot credited the North Carolina brand with giving him the opportunity to earn a “life-changing” sum of money as a student-athlete. He urges future basketball recruits to consider the Tar Heels for that reason.
“To recruits, if you go to Carolina and you handle business and you go out there and play and be somewhat marketable — it pays,” Bacot said. “I could never say a bad word about Carolina. I got life-changing money. I am from Richmond (Va.). I got life-changing money in college just off playing basketball. That’s why I am forever grateful to Carolina and the brand. To make over $2 million just in college is crazy.”
Bacot’s deals included a seafood restaurant, tech consulting firm, finance app, local burger joint, activewear brand, car wash chain, horse-racing farm, famous sports card brand, national coffee company, popular toy name, and an acting role on season three of the popular Netflix show, Outer Banks.
“NIL has allowed me to do so much,” Bacot told Inside Carolina last year. “I got to be on Outer Banks. I’ve been able to meet so many amazing partners… The first thing I look at is the company mission and product. If it is a company I believe in and a product I like to use, then I consult with my mom and adviser to see if it is a good fit and work out all the details of the deal. I like to partner with companies that I believe have the potential to be partners for the rest of my career and also help me grow as a businessperson.”Â
RELATED (VIP): UNC Basketball Camp Game Scoop II
Bacot averaged 14.5 points and came down with an ACC-best 10.3 rebounds per game during his fifth and final season at UNC in 2023-24. He signed an Exhibit 10 free-agent contract with the Utah Jazz after he went undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft.