WATCH: Nick Saban hammers NIL collectives, touts Alabama

Alabama head coach Nick Saban continued to criticize the state of NIL in college football, stating that NIL “collectives” couldn’t compete with Alabama. Saban maintains that the purpose of NIL was to give kids the power to make their own money of their own accord — not to pick and choose which kids deserve a share of an NIL “pool” of money.

Nick Saban on NIL ‘collectives’ that raise money to play players: “we didn’t do that last year and our guys made more money than anybody in college football” #Alabama pic.twitter.com/EmQ6gguQGx

— Simone Eli (@SimoneEli_TV) April 19, 2022

Nick Saban on NIL collectives

Saban answered questions ahead of a speaking engagement on Tuesday, and was asked again about the current state of NIL in college football. Saban has been highly critical of the direction NIL has taken recruiting at schools, stating that money is being used as a recruiting tool now. While he has embraced the idea of NIL to help his players make the most of their careers, Saban reiterated that his opinion on the current trajectory of the college landscape hasn’t changed.

“It really hasn’t changed at all,” said Saban of his NIL opinion. “I said in the very beginning that the concept of Name, Image and Likeness — for players to go out and get representation and be able to work and make money using their Name, Image and Likeness is a good thing for the players. And I think that was the original intent. Now people have started these collectives that raise money to create opportunities for players. I think that’s an unintended consequence.

“We didn’t do that last year and our guys made more money than anybody in college football. On their own, representing themselves, creating a good image. Being good players. Creating value for themselves. So we’re gonna do the same thing but we’re gonna give everybody the same opportunity. Everybody in the organization will have the same opportunity and then they can go earn as much as they want.

“We give everybody the same medical attention, we give everybody the same nutrition, we give everybody the same academic support. They have the same scholarship, so we’re gonna give them the same opportunity in Name, Image and Likeness. Then they can go earn whatever they want. But I don’t know if it’s a sustainable model for me to start picking and choosing who gets what opportunities.”

Part of Alabama’s legacy under Saban is their consistency and the high expectations they have for their players — a benefit of playing for the Crimson Tide according to Saban. While other schools are pushing for a “quick” method of recruiting and building their success with NIL collectives, Saban touts his program’s ability to make more money by following the rules and doing things the right way.