Nick Saban Hopes To Help Change College Sports Landscape, On Night Alabama Collective Announces Transfer
We are currently at a crossroads in college athletics regarding NIL, the NCAA and how to fix what a lot of coaches are calling a broken system. One of those who is trying to turn the tide in-terms of where we're at when it comes to collectives and the current system of NIL, is former Alabama head coach Nick Saban.
Now in a new role off the field, joining ESPN as an analyst for College Gameday among other shows, Nick Saban has been outspoken about where college sports is headed under the current system. One of the bigger problems comes down to how student-athletes are profiting off their name, image and likeness, which has drawn criticism over the past few years.
The lack of guidelines when first introduced has caused a ripple effect in the sport, with NIL being used in more of an NFL free agency model, than what it was first intended to do. Any coach will tell you that they are constantly battling to decipher what is currently allowed in sports, compared to when it was first introduced.
U.S. senators Marsha Blackburn and Corey Booker have reintroduced the Accountability Act, aimed at the NCAA investigation and infractions process.
(OutKick / Trey Wallace)
In terms of working to set up guardrails around the college athletics landscape, Nick Saban has been a vocal supporter of trying to find the right balance in how NIL is presented. Speaking in Birmingham on Monday night at the Nick Saban legacy awards event, the former Alabama coach asked how Coach Bear Bryant or Bobby Bowden would feel about the current landscape.
"You know, i have a question. This is something that is just food for thought for everybody," Saban started. "If Coach Bryant or Coach Bowden could all of a sudden be with us tonight, what would they think of college football right now?" That should be the very reason that we're all very much committed to what we can do to make college football something where players have a great quality of life, but we still have a venue where they have an opportunity to grow and learn and be successful.
"I hope I can be a part of trying to help people that are working hard to make that happen, like Greg Sankey, like Greg Byrne, like our conference commissioners are trying to do. That's really, really important for young people and something we're very much committed to.
Saban ended his appearance to a loud ovation, thanks to his final words to the crowd in Birmingham.
"We are Alabama. All you Alabama folks out there, we're Alabama. I'll pick Alabama every chance I get."
Alabama Collective Announces Transfer Portal Pickup On Social Media
So, while all of this was happening in Birmingham on Monday night, Alabama was about to land a key addition from the transfer portal. But, keeping up with how college athletics is trending nowadays, it was announced in an interesting manner.
Former Michigan safety Keon Sabb took advantage of the 30 day transfer portal window to find a new home, after Jim Harbaugh took the San Diego Chargers job. But how it was announced was one of the most interesting aspects of the night. Former Athletic writer Aaron Suttles was the one to break the news of Sabb transferring to Alabama. Suttles covered the Tide' before joining Yea Alabama, which is Alabama's strongest Collective, as their director of content.
The group has been partnering with the University of Alabama since its start, and they've had to start a massive campaign after Nick Saban retired. Nothing about this is illegal, I might add, but in a day and age where these collectives are at the forefront of raising money to fund NIL ventures for prospects and current athletes, the announcement is just the latest example of how the game is changing.
But once again, we are in a new era of college athletics, and just like Ohio State's collective announcing that Caleb Downs would be transferring to the Buckeyes from Alabama, this will start to become a normal situation.
All of this is just another example of where we are at the moment in college athletics. So buckle in, because I've already predicted the upcoming spring transfer portal period might be the wildest we've seen.