Did Nick Saban retire because of NIL? Exploring factors that contributed to 7x champ's decision

Nick Saban announced his retirement from coaching earlier this year in January. He stepped down from his post at Alabama after 17 years with the program.

Some fans speculated that Saban retired due to the growth in NIL (name, image and likeness) deals for college athletes. However, in March, Saban denied that the advent of NIL made him quit coaching.

During an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, Saban opened up on the timing of his retirement.

“I just never wanted to see the program go down, and I felt whether it was recruiting or hiring coaches and people wanting to know how long you’re going to be there,” Saban said. “When you get to 72 years old, it gets harder and harder to promise people you’re gonna be there for four or five more years.”

Last month, Alabama announced it would rename its field at Bryant-Denny Stadium after Saban. The Tide will head into the 2024 season with Kalen DeBoer as their new coach.

Saban coached 28 years on the college circuit, at Toledo (1990), Michigan State (1995-99), LSU (2000-04) and Alabama (2007-23). He won his first national title with LSU in 2003 and six national titles at Alabama.

Nick Saban to join ESPN's 'College GameDay' as an analyst after coaching career

Former Alabama HC Nick Saban (Source: Imagn)

In February this year, ESPN's "College GameDay" announced that Saban would join its crew for the 2024 season as an analyst.

“ESPN and College GameDay have played such an important role in the growth of college football, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to join their team,” Saban said. “I’ll do my best to offer additional insights and perspectives to contribute to College GameDay, the ultimate Saturday tradition for college football fans.”

Saban will join Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, Desmond Howard and Pat McAfee on "College GameDay" broadcasts every weekend when the football season begins.