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Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban has strong words about the current state of college football recruiting. Saban believes the current era of NIL and the college football transfer portal are not sustainable. During a December 21, 2023 interview on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Saban hinted that recruiting has become “pay for play.”
“I think there’s one sort of factor involved in recruiting now that did not used to be involved in recruiting,” Saban explained. “And that’s the whole concept of, I don’t want to say it’s pay for play, but name, image and likeness [NIL] has turned into something very similar to that.
“So, what you have in some cases is you have players who are looking to create value for their future. They’re looking to go to a program where they can have a good quality of life. But at the same time their personal development, their academic development, their career development on and off the field are all things that are most important to them and their family,” Saban continued.
“And then you have some people that are just looking for where can I make the best deal? And sometimes those factors change toward the end.”
Alabama Football’s Nick Saban Makes Bold Prediction on NIL Era: ‘There’s Going to be Some Kind of a Thunderbolt’
Saban may not be the biggest fan of the current climate of college football, but it does not appear to be impacting Alabama negatively. The Crimson Tide finished with the second-ranked recruiting class for 2024, per On3.com.
The Alabama coach is pushing for more “guard rails” in the NIL world. Saban predicts there will eventually be lawsuits as a result of the lack of parameters.
“I think it’s going to continue in the same direction that it’s going until something happens,” Saban noted. “I call it a thunderbolt, alright, where maybe people start dropping sports because the finance part of it can’t make sense in terms of what you can reinvest in non-revenue sports.
“Or some players out there don’t get what they were promised and there’s lots of lawsuits and stuff. I mean, there’s going to be some kind of a thunderbolt because this is not a system that we have right now that has any guard rails,” Saban added.
Alabama Football Rumors: The Crimson Tide Landed QB Julian Sayin Who Projects to Earn $805,000 in NIL Money
For example, Alabama landed five-star quarterback Julian Sayin as the headliner for the team’s 2024 recruiting class. Sayin is the No. 1 ranked quarterback and No. 5 overall player, per On3.com.
Numbers are not made public, but On3 projects that Sayin’s NIL value is $805,000. This is the highest projection for any player in the 2024 class. Saban is candid in admitting that the programs with the most NIL money to spend are going to have the best chance to compete.
“And in most competitive venues there are some guard rails that sort of control what you can and can’t do,” Saban continued. “Whether it’s the NFL in terms of where you pick in the draft to create parity or whatever it is. And right now, it’s a game of whoever’s willing to invest the most, has the best chance to have the best team.”
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