Nick Saban weighs in on whether NIL could inhibit NFL coaches joining college ranks

Nick Saban knows what it’s like to go from the NFL to college football, doing so in 2007 when he left the Miami Dolphins for Alabama. Amid the current NIL landscape, he was asked whether NFL coaches would consider making that jump right now.

Saban has been outspoken about the lack of “guardrails” regarding NIL in college football and has been critical of NIL collectives. He also recently ignited a feud with Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher, alleging the Aggies “bought every player on their team” from their highly ranked recruiting class.

With that in mind, Saban said he doesn’t think NIL rules will play a major role in those types of decisions. He noted college footbal is all about adjustments, and this is just another example of that.

“I think that people don’t look at those circumstances when they’re making professional decisions,” Saban told reporters Thursday prior to a Nick’s Kids charity event in Birmingham. “This is just my opinion. I think that if they think they can create value for themselves and accomplish the goals and aspirations that they have professionally, they’re going to continue to make those decisions based on the best opportunities, professionally. Look, there [have] always been adaptations and changes that we’ve had to make in college football. They have to make them in the NFL, they have to make them in the NBA. Those circumstances are all things that you have to adapt to.

“I’m sure that we’ve got a lot of good people trying to create opportunities that are going to be beneficial to players, but also keep a competitive balance in college athletics. There’ll be transparency in what people are able to do and how we can not allow this to be something that gives people opportunities to create advantages for themselves beyond the competitive development of players.”

Nick Saban weighs in on how to handle NIL guardrails, calls for government oversight

While talking to the media at the annual SEC meetings, Saban made a plea to create NIL guiderails and seek government assistance in enforcement of the agreed rules.

“I think right now everybody is looking for solutions,” Saban said, in part, via On3’s Jesse Simonton. “Every conference is looking for a solution. I’d assume that the NCAA continues to look for solutions. And again, I think the solution is, how do we still have equitable, national competition, which has always been the goal.

“I also think that we all want to continue to benefit the players. I’m certainly not opposed to benefitting the players every way we can, but also in a model where the player continues to stay focused on what they need to do to create value for their future.”