Nick Saban Voices Concerns on NIL Rules, Says What He Believed About College Athletics ‘No Longer Exists’ [Video]

Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban voiced his opinions Tuesday on NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) rules during a round table discussion with multiple senators at Capitol Hill, expressing his belief that these regulations have been detrimental to college sports.

Saban’s reflection was surprising but similar to that of many college coaches. He and others argue that the recruiting process has lost its genuine experience due to 3-5 star kids making upwards to six figures to commit to a University.

“All the things that I believed in for all these years, 50 years of coaching, no longer exist in college athletics,” Saban said at the roundtable. “It was always about developing players. It was always about helping people be more successful in life.”

“That’s the reason that I always like college athletics more than the NFL is because you had the opportunity to develop young people,” Saban continued. 

Ever since the NIL was introduced to college football and other sports about three years ago, the NCAA has been struggling to implement a consistent set of regulations. Different states have implemented their own laws, which has led to confusion among coaches, schools, and other personnel involved in the practice. Boosters have created ‘collectives’ – independent groups that aim to sign players to NIL contracts on behalf of their preferred schools. This has only increased the sense of confusion around rules and regulations.

Nick Saban and Deion Sanders are two coaches who have mentioned that NIL has ruined the recruitment process for them. They feel that the involvement of big sums of money in NIL deals has complicated matters and has raised more questions than answers.

Check out the video of Nick Saban speaking at the Round Table below.