Alabama’s Nick Saban Says Using NIL Deals to Recruit Is ‘Where I Draw The Line’

Alabama head coach Nick Saban is trying to be a man of principle when it comes to the explosion of name, image and likeness deals for college athletes.

The seven-time national championship winner said NIL deals shouldn’t be used as a means to entice high school recruits.

“When we start using name, image and likeness for a kid to come to our school, that’s where I draw the line,” he told reporters. “Because that’s not why we did this.”

Saban didn’t get to where he is by being exceptionally stubborn. His adaptability is one of the biggest reasons Alabama remains so successful every single season.

When the Crimson Tide were getting left behind a bit on offense, they began employing more of a spread offense championed by then-offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin.

As NIL was dawning, Saban wasn’t afraid to boast how Bryce Young was making “almost seven figures” in endorsements.

The transfer portal? You better believe Saban and his staff are raiding some of the best talent, including former LSU cornerback Eli Ricks. Jameson Williams made a big impact in his only season in Tuscaloosa after transferring from Ohio State.

But Saban’s comments about how the most monied programs “have the best chance to have the best team” are likely to fall on deaf ears.

Because that was the case already.

Saban is pulling down $9.8 million annually, and he might soon be getting a raise after the spending bonanza during this offseason’s hiring cycle. In August 2018, Alabama announced it would spend $600 million over 10 years on upgrades to its athletic facilities.

College sports have always been an arms race, and when it comes to football, the advent of the College Football Playoff may have widened the gulf between the haves and have-nots.

Opening the doors for NIL money isn’t a perfect solution to the problem because the established elite will inevitably have a deeper well of donors upon which they can generate opportunities for athletes.

But it’s difficult to see how the new normal can be any worse than what college sports had before.