UNC Basketball: Armando Bacot joins IMG Academy at the New York Stock Exchange

Armando Bacot is a man for all seasons. UNC basketball's all-time leading rebounder. Actor. Hotelier.

He's a man now accustomed to having his face in the spotlight, and not just for basketball. Consider where he was earlier today, ringing the New York Stock Exchange bell.

Bacot's old prep school, IMG Academy, partnered with Merrill Wealth Management on a three-year agreement to provide financial awareness education and resources to IMG student-athletes and their families. Many of IMG's alums go on to professional sports careers in a wide variety of sports, so knowing how to manage and build wealth when they sign their first professional contracts is paramount.

Merrill's Greg McGauley, head of Private Wealth Management, International and Institutional Groups, said of the partnership with IMG:

"“Athletes today are navigating an increasingly complex financial landscape and are expected to make decisions at an early age that can have a significant impact on their futures. That is why this partnership with IMG Academy is so important and timely. It offers students and their parents the education and resources to help them make informed financial decisions now and in the future.”"

Don't be surprised to see more of these types of partnerships between NCAA schools and financial or investment firms. Money loves money, and with more of it coming in to college sports, the athletes with money to spend need to learn how to properly invest. I'd like to point out that I still never use calculus in my day-to-day life, but financial literacy is at the front of my mind every single day.

Armando Bacot may be the poster-child for this new student-athlete entrepreneur paradigm. Let's hope that future Heels have his level of success navigating these murky waters.