Legendary coach Nick Saban shared candid thoughts on the state of college football during his appearance on The Pivot Podcast.
Saban, who shockingly retired a year ago (times flies, huh?), has made it clear that the rise of NIL and the transfer portal were the main reasons why he decided to leave the sport.
“The whole idea of what college used to be is not there anymore. I mean, it used to be you went to college to develop value for your future. Now, people are going to college to see how much money they can make,” Saban said on the podcast.
“And I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that, but you change the whole dynamic of the importance of getting an education, making good decisions and choices about what you do and what you don’t do to create value for your future.
“You change that whole dynamic and the idea that these guys are free agents twice a year and they can just go wherever they want.”
Saban pointed out the deeper issue that’s growing and how it’s affecting not just college football, but the NFL as well.
“I got NFL coaches calling me complaining about these guys [that] have no ability to sustain and persevere and overcome adversity because they never had to do it,” Saban revealed.
“They just pack up and leave as soon as something doesn’t go their way. That’s what I always enjoyed about college developing those things that help guys be successful.”
Saban’s comments provide further insight into why he stepped away from coaching after an illustrious career that included seven national championships.
At the time of his retirement last January, ESPN’s Chris Low reported that Saban was dissatisfied with what college football had become, quoting sources who said, “He’s all about team and building a team and developing players, and now the only thing that seems to matter is who can get what in the NIL and who can get the biggest deal.”
The shift toward players securing financial opportunities through NIL deals and exercising more mobility via the transfer portal has undoubtedly changed the sport.
While Saban acknowledged the inevitability of players sharing in the profits generated by college football, he lamented the loss of what he viewed as the developmental essence of the game.
Reflecting on the changes, Saban even suggested he might have pursued a permanent career in the NFL if these dynamics had been in play earlier in his career.
Saban’s retirement from Alabama marked the end of an era, leaving the college football world to navigate its evolving landscape without one of its most iconic figures.
Saban raised several great points during the interview. Besides some troubling aspects of NIL, the fact that the transfer portal is so lawless is doing even more damage than many people realize.
What are your thoughts on Saban’s comments?
What changes need to be made to fix college football before the sport crosses a line that there’s no coming back from???
