- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 465,976
- Reaction score
- 44
Last week, reports exploded across the college football world that former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban would co-chair a presidential commission on college sports alongside Donald Trump. The proposed committee, reportedly focused on fixing the increasingly chaotic landscape of college football, most notably emphasizing NIL, the transfer portal, and the ongoing exploration of conference realignment.
However, on Wednesday, Saban himself poured cold water on the hype.
"First of all, I don't know much about the commission," Saban said, per On3 via The Paul Finebaum Show. "Secondly, I'm not sure we really need a commission."
Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Those comments come just days after reports portrayed the seven-time national champion as a key architect of college football's unprecedented commission to help steady college sports. Instead, Saban emphasized that the issues plaguing the sport are already well understood and all that remains is action.
"I think that a lot of people know exactly what the issues are in college football and exactly what we need to do to fix them," Saban added.
The commission reportedly began to take shape during Trump's visit to Tuscaloosa earlier this year, when the president delivered a commencement address at Alabama. Saban has long been viewed as one of the sport's most respected voices and one of the most decorated coaches in American sports history.
Although Saban retired from coaching college football shortly after the dawn of NIL and is not for a "pay-for-play" model, he believes players should still be paid.
"I'm not opposed to players making money, I don't want anybody to think that," he said. "I just think the system that we [are using], the way it's going right now, is not sustainable, and probably not in the best interest of the student-athletes across the board or the game itself."
Saban's comments add another wrinkle to the ongoing national debate over how to regulate college athletics in the NIL era. Loosened transfer portal rules have also sent college sports into a frenzy. Once reserved for only the most unique instances, players now have the option to transfer twice without penalty.
Continue reading...
However, on Wednesday, Saban himself poured cold water on the hype.
"First of all, I don't know much about the commission," Saban said, per On3 via The Paul Finebaum Show. "Secondly, I'm not sure we really need a commission."
You must be registered for see images attach
Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Those comments come just days after reports portrayed the seven-time national champion as a key architect of college football's unprecedented commission to help steady college sports. Instead, Saban emphasized that the issues plaguing the sport are already well understood and all that remains is action.
"I think that a lot of people know exactly what the issues are in college football and exactly what we need to do to fix them," Saban added.
The commission reportedly began to take shape during Trump's visit to Tuscaloosa earlier this year, when the president delivered a commencement address at Alabama. Saban has long been viewed as one of the sport's most respected voices and one of the most decorated coaches in American sports history.
Although Saban retired from coaching college football shortly after the dawn of NIL and is not for a "pay-for-play" model, he believes players should still be paid.
"I'm not opposed to players making money, I don't want anybody to think that," he said. "I just think the system that we [are using], the way it's going right now, is not sustainable, and probably not in the best interest of the student-athletes across the board or the game itself."
Saban's comments add another wrinkle to the ongoing national debate over how to regulate college athletics in the NIL era. Loosened transfer portal rules have also sent college sports into a frenzy. Once reserved for only the most unique instances, players now have the option to transfer twice without penalty.
Continue reading...
