‘‘It’s always about relationships, but now it’s about how much money you’re going to pay them.” Nick Saban’s wife, Terry Saban, perfectly summarized how the current waves of college football are under the clasp of the NIL. This marks a time when players like Nico Iamamleava are leaving their old school to chase fatter checks. But head coaches like Fran Brown are ensuring that Syracuse players do not let themselves let the money control them. And for that, Brown is tightening the reins, keeping players on their toes. Discipline is the key to success, they say. And the Syracuse head coach is following it to T. Mess up once, and your wallet will feel it.

As per On3 reports, Brown’s Syracuse holds an average NIL value of $19.2k. Now, that’s too low as compared to big powerhouses like the Alabama Crimson Tide, which holds a valuation of $213k. However, within this small amount, Brown is very particular about the spending. Syracuse offensive tackle Byron Washington and defensive back Demetres Samuel Jr. gave a sneak peek of Brown’s tight discipline.

On May 22, they appeared on the State of Orange podcast. Samuel Jr. shared, “We get fines for missing morning, two absences in class. We got class checkers. If you don’t have your jug or your tablet…”

That’s when Washington chimed in to inform, “That’s $50.”

Fran Brown is also very particular about the numbers on the weighing scales. There is often a clear instruction to lose or gain two pounds in a week. And guess what? Brown keeps a tab on the progress throughout the week. As Samuel Jr. shared, “You weigh three times. On Monday, it’s kind of more lenient. Wednesday, you kind of want to be there; on Friday if you are not there, that’s a quarter.” In that way, the Orange players are seen pushing themselves to great lengths on Thursday. “You see people starve on Thursday. You see them eat on Thursday night..because you know that quarter is coming if you don’t make it.” The same process gets repeated another week. The outcome? Empty hands and pockets. 

“You can really lose your whole check,” Samuel Jr. and Washington said in unison.  When it comes to Brown, that man has got some revolutionary moves when it comes to NIL. The Syracuse HC has become the first coach to sign with Network, a sports marketing agency. Brown is well known for characterizing the acronym D.A.R.T.—Detailed, accountable, relentless, and tough. So, compromising with discipline? A BIG NO NO for the Syracuse head coach. Meanwhile, he is not compromising on NIL, either.  

Fran Brown and Trebor Pena’s NIL Clash

Redshirt senior and wide receiver Trebor Pena was the pride of Syracuse. His numbers for Brown’s squad last season were phenomenal, with Pena catching a team-high 84 passes for 941 yards and nine touchdowns. As the Orange’s leading returning receiver, his unexpected announcement in April truly shook the team: on April 14, Pena declared his intention to enter the transfer portal.

This decision must have deeply affected Coach Brown, especially since Pena was a team captain who had previously encouraged fans to donate to players. However, Fran Brown took a firm stand, refusing to give in to what he considered undue demands. Despite Pena’s contributions to the program, Brown didn’t hesitate to put the brakes on the negotiations.

“We paid him enough. He was going to get paid more,” Fran Brown stated sharply. “There were some numbers that were asked to me that I didn’t feel I would be able to do and move on.” He then seemed to further jab at Pena, adding, “You gonna make $2 million at wide receiver? That’s the homie at Ohio State [Jeremiah Smith]. Ain’t nobody else making that money. I’m not giving no wide receiver $2 million in college. That ain’t me.”

Fran Brown clarified his stance, stating, “Sometimes people be asking for an outrageous number. You’re not about to make more than every coordinator.” This shows Brown clearly holding his ground without flinching, even while Sherrone Moore splashes out a hefty $12 million in NIL deals.