Former Alabama coach Nick Saban opened up about the current state of college football. His remarks perhaps give more insight into why Nick Saban decided to step away from the game when he did. Nick Saban, who has never been one to shy away from an opinion, feels that college sports are getting too big and that the system is setting players up to fail later in life.
Nick Saban Doesn’t Hold Back
In an interview with ESPN, Nick Saban shared the following comments regarding the current state of college sports, but obviously with football in mind, as his comments quickly switched to the sport.
“…I do know I’d like to impact college football the best way I can, whether it’s being a spokesperson or anything else. Listen, I’m for the players. It’s not that I’m not for the players. I want to see the players have a great quality of life and be able to create value for themselves. But we’ve gone to nobody talking about education, nobody talking about creating value for their future, to talking only about how much money can I make while I’m in college.
…I love the players, and I love college football. What we have now is not college football — not college football as we know it. You hear somebody use the word ‘student-athlete.’ That doesn’t exist…
…I think the consequence of this could come down the road when some of these guys get 28 and 29 years old that maybe they didn’t prepare themselves for when they can’t play football anymore, which is what you should do when you go to college.”
It’s no secret that much of the current landscape of college football is all about money. The transfer portal is a perfect example of this. Nearly one in every six players entered the transfer portal this off-season and will be playing somewhere new in 2024.
For anyone who has gone to college, you know the importance of getting a rapport and connection within a certain program. For example, I was in a news media program, and the connections and learning I gained within that program have paid dividends to this day. For many players chasing NIL money they lose out on those opportunities and the ability to grow within a program.
Nick Saban Has A Point
As someone who knows multiple college athletes, I can tell you many aren’t doing work. Whether it is getting teachers to waive grades, having TAs essentially do the work for them, or being assigned to class sections that don’t do the same workload, many athletes are finishing school without the same education and and learning as other students. Obviously, this isn’t every student and every school, but in a few instances that I know of, it is the case.
Now, throw in thousands of athletes who are transferring to different schools where the credits don’t always transfer, and the teacher-to-student relationships definitely don’t. Very few players make it to the pros, and even fewer of them end up making enough money to sustain them for the rest of their lives. The NCAA rules on transferring and NIL have, in many ways, set players up to fail.
What will happen when the huge NIL checks stop coming in and their football career is over? What skills and education have these players gained to be successful in the business world? For many, unfortunately, it isn’t enough.
Conclusion
Nick Saban is a very smart man, and he doesn’t just say things for the sake of saying them. If his advice is even nearly as good as his coaching was, it may be a good idea to listen.
1 Comment
This is really funny if not just sad. A former coach lamenting players wanting as much money as possible and they are really just following the leads of their schools/coaches.
Anyone think recent college expansion was about something other than money. And if iam mistaken ,if scholarships are for one year why isnt a student a free “agent ” and could enroll in any school ? Oh i forgot the schools set up blocks to that.