Busting the myths surrounding Nick Saban’s NIL stance, Washington D.C. trip

Alabama coach Nick Saban is in Washington D.C. on Wednesday to talk to congress regarding issues with NIL. The Crimson Tide head man joins SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and others to make the case for nationwide uniformity regarding NIL.

Currently, states have different NIL laws that put some schools at a disadvantage. Saban’s trip to D.C. seeks to rectify that, as he believes there should be a federal law governing how teams operate. However, it has also been met with some skepticism from other programs about the motive behind it.

On3‘s JD PicKell addressed those “myths” in a recent episode of The Hard Count, explaining the real reason for Saban getting involved using an interesting analogy.

“The first myth we need to address is that Nick Saban is going to Washington D.C. along with others to meet with lawmakers to push back on NIL because it hurts what he wants to do,” PicKell said. “Because it’s against Nick Saban’s best interests to help his football team to recruit better and keep his edge in college football. That’s the myth right now.

“Here’s what I would say is actually happening: let’s say I somehow drive a Ferrari. Some pretty good speed, right? Then lawmakers out of nowhere say, ‘you know what? You don’t need a governor on an engine anymore. You don’t need a speed limit anymore.’ I’m over there saying, ‘woah, woah, woah. Are we sure we want to do that? Are we sure that’s in the best interest of everybody?’ I go talk to lawmakers and say, ‘this is a bad idea. Trust me.’ But then everybody else that drives a different car says, ‘you just don’t want us going fast like you. You don’t want us to get to where we want to go because you want to have the only fast car.’ That’s not what’s happening. That’s not the case. Everyone is driving the speed limit because it’s safe. It helps us all. Regulation is a good thing.”

PicKell went on to explain that some people believe Saban is worried about the current way NIL is set up making it easier for other teams to catch up to the Crimson Tide. However, the reality is that Saban, who will turn 72 in October, likely won’t be around much longer.

That being the case, it’s hard to see it any other way than him doing what he truly believes will be best for the future of college sports as a whole.

“When you say, ‘everyone go as fast as you want. No rules. Do what you want.’ That’s not in the best interest of everybody involved here,” PicKell said. “I think that’s what Nick Saban is doing. He’s saying, ‘Yeah, I got a fast car. I got a program at Alabama that just churns out New Year’s Six Bowls and has previously churned out national titles.’ He’s recruited well in modern college football. But him saying, ‘we need regulation’ is not him saying ‘woe is me. You’re hurting my chances.’ This is not Nick Saban crying for help. He is saying, ‘listen, college football’s gonna go on with or without me at some point in time. I don’t want to leave it in a place where I feel like it’s headed in a wrong direction.'”

Finally, PicKell made the point that the original intent of NIL was to benefit athletes who are already in college. However, the way things are currently set up, teams have used it to entice both high school recruits and transfer players.

NIL is still in its infancy, with 2023 set to be just the third year student athletes can profit from their names. As leaders try to figure out the most fair way to move forward, Saban’s visit will hopefully be a step in the right direction.

“NIL is not meant to be a recruiting tool,” PicKell said. “I talked to someone who used to be in the college world previously and just transitioned to the NFL and he’s like, ‘listen, man, that’s not what it’s for.’ It’s supposed to be for college athletes to capitalize on their name, image and likeness and get themselves something for their value. Not for high school kids to have a bag dropped on them and try and pick their school.”