Alabama football: Nick Saban calls out lack of parity in NIL, names specific schools

Nick Saban questions the lack of parity in college football, particularly when it comes to NIL.

Leave it up to Alabama head coach Nick Saban to question the lack of parity across major college football.

The Crimson Tide have been nothing short of dynastic since Saban took over in Tuscaloosa in 2007. Seven College Football Playoff appearances and six national championships later, Saban is still somehow not satisfied. During the SEC spring meetings this past week, Saban offered his opinion on the wonderful world of NIL. He held nothing back, and actually named a few teams…

Let’s just say Saban is not a fan of what Texas, Texas A&M and USC are doing in the NIL sphere.

Keep in mind that two of his most noted disciples lead two of the programs he mentioned by name in Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher…

Alabama football coach Nick Saban rips Texas, Texas A&M and USC about NIL

When it comes to NIL at this stage of the game, everyone is seemingly pointing the finger at everyone else. It’s not great, but that’s reality. What is important to understand though is while Alabama may be one of the best programs in the country, there are more financial resources in California and Texas than in The Yellowhammer State. Oil and tech can outspend iron, basically.

Not to say that Alabama will be pulling back significantly in the foreseeable future (this is a top-tier program after all), but there are other schools out there that if they were to get their collective stuff together (pun absolutely intended!), the Crimson Tide may not be able to touch them. Saban seems to be well aware of this, as he has been so pushing hard against the sport’s changing fabric.

Whether it be as the primary reason why the SEC adopted an altered eight-game conference slate in 2024, or his cut-and-dry approach to NIL (you gotta be a student first), Saban finds himself trying to sustain greatness in an ever-changing landscape. I mean, he’s not wrong about most things. He does give things real thought. However, people don’t look to him when debating parity.

Eventually, there will be guardrails implemented by some future governing body that isn’t as worthless or as feckless as the NCAA that will oversee this. You have to remember that we are only in year three of this mess, so let’s just embrace the wild west stage of student-athlete compensation. We will look back on this and laugh in a few years. In the meantime, just enjoy it.

Saban is a very youthful 71, but college football is becoming an increasingly young man’s game.