SEC Media Days Update: 'Mega Conferences May Be Something In The Future,' Saban Says

ATLANTA — Alabama coach Nick Saban stuck his toe in the water of a hypothetical question to kick off the SEC Media Days on Tuesday amid a storm of conference realignment nationally and literal thunder outside the College Football Hall of Fame.

"I do think if we do move toward the mega conferences, again that whole thing about competitive balance is going to be a question," Saban said when asked about the SEC possibly moving to 18 or 20 teams in the near future along with the Big Ten. The SEC plans to go from 14 to 16 in 2025 with the additions of Texas and Oklahoma.

The Big Ten will also be adding two for 16 in 2024 with the additions of USC and UCLA. And it could also add Notre Dame.

Saban coached in the Big Ten three times before coming to the SEC as LSU's head coach prior to the 2000 season. He was an assistant at Ohio State and Michigan State before serving as Michigan State's head coach from 1995-99.

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"Look, I'm not here to say we should have it or we shouldn't have it," he said. "But if we have two 20-team leagues, how is that going to impact all those people that are not in those leagues? That's a question for all of you to speculate on and answer. I really can't speculate on that. It's not my job or my role to understand the dynamics of what's in the best interest of college football, the SEC or other conferences in terms of how they expand. But this has always been something that has happened."

Saban and the Crimson Tide will get a taste of an incoming SEC member when Alabama plays at Texas on Sept. 10.

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"I know one thing for sure is we have a great league," he said. "We made two really positive additions to our league that are going to come on in a few years. I think there's a lot of underlying dynamics from a business standpoint that could impact and affect how things happen - if it does happen in the future. But for right now, we have 14 teams for the next couple years. We have some really good teams in our league."

He lost to two of them last year - Texas A&M and Georgia, which avenged a loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game to beat the Tide in the national title game.

"It's a very competitive league," Saban said. "You have to be on task each and every week. That's what we're trying to stay focused on."

Saban at first sounded as if he may dodge the question about the SEC's future, which could mean a 10-game league schedule if there are 18 or 20 teams.

"I have no idea," he said initially. "You know I don't like to answer hypothetical questions, which that could be as hypothetical as any I've ever been asked."

But after some light laughter, he proceeded to answer it.

"I do think there is some tendency as current events sort of indicate that mega conferences may be something in the future," he said. "That's probably a better question for Greg Sankey (SEC commissioner) or conference commissioners, who are looking at what's in the best interest of their leagues in the future. And I'm sure they would say maybe yes and maybe now. Because who knows how those circumstances may impact every league and college football?"