It’s raining riches in college football! Money is doing all the talking and is catapulting talent in the right way. More than anyone, North Carolina is counting on Pittsburgh Steelers HC Arthur Smith for some heavy cash. After all, that’s going to give him a big break in college football finding an important role while the program will cash in the opportunity. Already, things are a bit hot in college football. All thanks to billionaire Larry Ellison, who came up with a hefty eight-digit offer for a high school student helping Sherrone Moore’s Michigan Wolverines. 

Remember when Smith had to go through a rough patch when the Atlanta Falcons decided to part ways with their HC? Look at him now. Within months after getting fired, he was able to land himself a job with the Steelers. And now that North Carolina has fired their HC Mack Brown, Smith confirmed that UNC ‘reached out’ to him. If it’s for the money, then the Steelers HC might not look for a swap. This was taken up by analysts Bruce Feldman and Stewart Mandel on their The Audible podcast. As Mandel stated, “I also love the idea of Arthur Smith We have not yet in NIL ever had a case where the billionaire is the coach’s dad.”

FYI, that’s true! Smith’s father, Frederick Smith, holds a whopping net worth of $5.4 billion. After all, he is the founder and executive chairman of FedEx, the international shipping and courier firm. Back in 1971, Smith’s father turned FedEx into a global powerhouse that gave them enough fortune to buy the 40 percent share in the Washington Commanders in 2003, which he later sold in 2021. However, in case North Carolina counts on Smith only to take help from his dad and bankroll the ACC program, that would go against their own morals. 

Analyzing the possibilities of Smith landing in UNC, Mandel came up with a trivia: “Bubba Cunningham, North Carolina AD, once came in a podcast five years ago to basically convince everybody why NIL will be the devil; we should not have anybody with NIL.” But again, times are changing. 

How Larry Ellison revolutionized the NIL game  

Commenting on the UNC scenario, trying to bring Smith in, Mandel gave an interesting angle on revolts happening in the NIL landscape. As we all know, it’s a pretty common sight for universities to give out NIL deals to fund athletes. Gone are those days. Now you don’t wait for programs to do so; rather, a single individual is enough. 

Right now all the limelight is on Ellison, who helped a high school quarterback bag a $10 million deal to play with Michigan. Well, we know how Moore is now running thin in his pocket. After all, going by the buzz, the Wolverines had to offer at least $12 million to lure the No.1 athlete in the class of 2025, Bryce Underwood from LSU Tigers. That’s why they say how this flip has been a blessing in disguise for Brian Kelly. 

That’s when Larry Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle Corp. (ORCL), came to Michigan’s help. And what made it so easy for him to spend such a hefty amount in one go? Well, if you don’t know, going by the Forbes figure, Ellison holds a net worth of $141 billion and is the fifth-richest person in the world. Just like money changed Michigan’s fate, let’s see if UNC’s sly plan of counting on Arthur Smith as the money magnet serves them well.