$70,000,000 worth Nick Saban delivers verdict on NIL in college football - "There’s pay-for-play now"

Alabama head coach Nick Saban has given his opinion about the current name, image, and likeness (NIL) system in college athletics. Saban claimed that athletes are choosing schools based on where they can make the most money, indicating a shift towards a "semi-pro direction" with pay-for-play dynamics.

In Saban's view, the expansion of the College Football Playoff (CFP) to 12 teams is likely to diminish the significance of traditional bowl games and longstanding athletic traditions.

“We’re moving in the sort of semi-pro direction in terms of, there’s pay-for-play now,” Saban, who has an estimated net worth of $70 million, was quoted as saying by On3. “We call it name, image and likeness, but that’s pay-for-play, basically — and I’m all for the players sharing in what’s happening.”

“You’ve got guys transferring from one team to the next at will with very little guidelines as to how to control any of these things, and we’re gonna have a playoff very similar to the NFL.

“And I’m not saying any of those things are bad. I’m just saying they’re all completely changes from what we had five years ago, 10 years ago, whatever.”

Despite expressing support for players benefiting from their involvement, Saban highlighted the considerable changes, such as unrestricted player transfers and a playoff structure resembling that of the NFL.

Nick Saban's 2015 foresight comes true?

Alabama coach Nick Saban at the press

According to On3, as of today, a record-breaking 1,900 college football players have transferred this season. Players are eager to secure their professional futures, leading to a surge in transfers, with the NFL draft deadline approaching on Jan. 15.

Reportedly, Nick Saban presciently predicted this trend in 2015, foreseeing the impact of the CFP on traditional bowl games. His prediction is now coming to fruition with the expansion of the CFP to 12 teams.

"What I was most fearful of is college football is unique," he had said in 2015. "A lot of young men get a lot of positive self gratification from being able to go to a bowl game and that's always been a special thing. That by having a playoff we would minimize the interest in other bowl games, which I think is sort of what happened and I hate to see that for college football."

Saban recognized that this shift could lead to the demise of certain traditions, such as the existence of the Pac-10. While these changes might conflict with traditionalist views, Bama's coach argues that they reflect the current reality of college football.