Legendary former Alabama head coach Nick Saban has never been one to hold his tongue โ and in his most recent public appearance, he offered his boldest commentary yet on the state of college football’s Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) landscape.
Speaking at a coaching symposium in Atlanta this week, Saban directly addressed the House v. NCAA settlement and what it could mean for restoring competitive balance in the sport. His words were blunt:
โBefore this ruling, you could actually buy a championship. Now, we might finally get back to real football.โ
๐ฐ Buying Titles? Saban Gets Candid
Sabanโs comments highlight growing concerns among coaches and administrators that the NIL system โ launched with good intentions โ had spiraled into unchecked pay-for-play bidding wars.
โParity didnโt exist anymore,โ Saban added. โWhen certain schools have unlimited collectives and others are barely getting started, itโs not a level playing field. That’s not what college football was ever meant to be.โ
During the NIL boom, top recruits were reportedly offered multi-million dollar deals before stepping foot on campus. Some players flipped commitments days before signing simply due to financial offers.
While Saban didnโt name names, insiders point to several high-profile flips in recent years that shifted the competitive landscape โ including multiple 5-star athletes leaving traditional powerhouses for upstart programs with deeper collective pockets.
โ๏ธ House vs NCAA: A Game-Changing Settlement
The House v. NCAA lawsuit settlement, finalized earlier this year, marks a historic turning point for college athletics. The agreement includes:
- Revenue sharing: Schools can now directly share up to $20 million per year with student-athletes.
- NIL regulation framework: Brings centralized oversight to NIL compensation.
- Retroactive back pay: Former athletes from as far back as 2016 will receive compensation for previous NIL violations.
This effectively shifts athlete compensation into a structured, transparent model โ and begins phasing out the chaotic influence of third-party NIL collectives.
โThis is what we needed,โ Saban said. โNow thereโs accountability. Now everyone knows the rules.โ
๐ Sabanโs Retirement and Reflection
Since retiring in early 2024, Nick Saban has remained a prominent voice in shaping the sport he helped define. As a 7-time national champion, he remains invested in college footballโs future.
โI didnโt leave the game because I couldnโt compete โ I left because I saw what it was turning into. But with this new ruling, maybe weโve course-corrected in time.โ
๐ง What It Means for the Sport
College football fans, coaches, and insiders are now watching to see how the balance of power shifts with the new rules. Programs with elite brands and tradition โ like Alabama, Ohio State, and Michigan โ are expected to benefit most from a more regulated NIL economy.
Meanwhile, mid-tier and lower-resourced programs may still struggle, but at least within a defined system, not a financial free-for-all.
๐ Final Word
Nick Sabanโs words once again echo through the halls of college football: โYou can buy a championshipโ may be a stinging truth of the NIL eraโs darkest days โ but thanks to House v. NCAA, the game may finally be tilting back toward merit, tradition, and fair competition.
And though Saban may no longer patrol the sidelines, his voice continues to shape the future of the game he helped elevate to greatness.
