Alabama's Nick Saban voice frustration with Name Image & Likeness
- Gary Watts
- Jun 5, 2022
- 5 min read
Updated: Jan 1, 2024
By: Gary Watts III
Published: June 5, 2022
Blythewood, S.C.
The college football world is seemingly divided on the comments made by Nick Saban this past Wednesday. The head coach of the University of Alabama football team expressed that teams such as Texas A&M and Jackson State took advantage of college football's new NIL rule to attract players from the high school level. The newly integrated NIL policy allows players to capitalize and be compensated for their Name, Image, and Likeness throughout their collegiate career.
The 14th-year coach of the Crimson Tide expressed that Texas A&M and head coach Jimbo Fisher "bought every player" that was a part of the Aggies 2022 recruiting class. Also, Saban made statements that alleged head coach Deion Sanders and Jackson State inked a one million dollar deal with recruit Travis Hunter. This move was considered as the main reason the five-star cornerback from West Palm Beach, FL de-committed from Florida State University and signed with Jackson State, becoming the first five-star recruit to commit to an HBCU.
The comments made by Nick Saban are understandable at the surface, and while he apologized, one must question the source of the frustration that contributed to Saban making those statements in the first place. Nick Saban did provide a reasonable explanation when asked about his perception of colleges/universities and athletes being able to enter into NIL agreements.
Nick Saban spoke with sports reporter Chris Low and detailed some of the reasons behind his criticism of the Name, Image & Likeness deals that are being distributed. Nick Saban's belief is that the opportunity presented by NIL agreements can affect different components of coaching, recruiting, and athletic performance to say the least.
A couple of examples given expressed "How do you coach that kid? If it’s a receiver, and he(sic) and the receivers coach butt heads, who’s going to win that fight?" This is considering that the athlete in question is making earning a substantial amount of income which can cause a rift between player and coach. Also, it was stated "The people who paid the cash to that guy are going to be on your campus, in your office, on the phone, going ‘I’ve got a lot of money invested in this dude, let’s get him on the field.'”
These are a few examples of the depth to which Nick Saban's comments could originate from. To be fair, Nick Saban did make some valid points regarding how the influence of NIL deals can affect the working relationships between players and coaching staff. Although, these frustrations are not always true based on the success of fellow head coaches, their staff, and NCAA athletes who benefit from utilizing Name Image & Likeness deals.
Taking a deeper look, what if the comments made by Nick Saban come as a fear that the NIL will take away from the Crimson Tide's legacy of recruiting and producing NFL-caliber athletes? What if the opportunities through competing in NIL deals contribute to the decline of the school's overall success? What if Nick Saban understands that Alabama and fellow division-I schools can lose athletes in recruiting to less prominent colleges who are willing to pay a sufficient rate for the athlete's name, image, & likeness.
Let's not forget that "the University of Alabama Crimson Tide team has had 379 players drafted into (NFL) since the league began holding drafts in 1936. This includes 70 players taken in the first round although they have only had two #1 draft picks overall."
Let's take a look at the success that the Crimson Tide had during its 14 years with Nick Saban.
Since 2009, Alabama has produced 111 draft picks, the most by any college football program during that span.
Since 2010, Alabama has had 61 players taken in the first two rounds, the most by any college football program during that span. That number nearly doubles the next closest school Ohio State (35).
With the conclusion of the second round (2021 NFL Draft), the Crimson Tide remained the NCAA leader in most first and second-round picks all-time.
With Alabama’s six selections through the first three rounds at the 2022 NFL Draft, the Crimson Tide has had at least six selections in the NFL Draft for three straight years (2020-22) and five years total under Saban.
Several former Alabama football players were selected in the first four rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Don't get me wrong, this success does coincide with excellent coaching, staffing personnel, and player management. Although, efforts to recruit players with the skill set and high work ethics to perform at such a high level of competition are vital to an organization's success as referenced above. This was an important factor in Travis Hunter re-committing to Jackson State as players of high caliber are commonly sought out by notable Division-I schools in order to maintain on-field success.
Teams such as Alabama and Florida State are historic for drawing in all-star recruits thanks to several factors including culture, facilities, exposure, and the allure of creating professional opportunities for athletes. While Jackson State has also seen its fair share of success (winning 17 SWAC championships and holding a winning all-time record), they have not been able to match the same level of achievements compared to their NCAA peers. The Tigers have only had three top 10 draft picks and have produced just over 90 players who entered the National Football League since their first season in 1956.
Jimbo's Fisher's Aggies have also seen higher notoriety than Jackson State as they have racked up three National Championships, although their last came in 1939. To add on, the Aggies are now competing in the SEC (Southeastern Conference) and are 85-41 in conference play, proving the need to be able to recruit high-quality athletes into the organization in order to maintain continued success.
The use of the NIL is a delicate benefit that should be considered with a focus on ensuring athletes have proper access and proper management of their compensation. Nick Saban did make a good point when speaking about the concerns of establishing a solid process to upkeep the integrity of using NIL agreements. With this, I do hope that athletes are able to take advantage of NIL agreements in a genuine way to evolve their overall professional and personal lifestyles.
This is based on being a prior Division-I athlete and not being able to financially sustain myself while competing and learning during my time at Rutgers. I did not come from a family or environment that was able to support me financially as some athletes do. Based on this, while a scholarship is a valuable asset to hold, it is definitely easier to focus on the activities of being a student-athlete when there are not as many financial obstacles set in place.
One example of this includes being able to financially sustain in the off-season when there were no free buffet meals available to us as they are during the season. It was definitely tougher to focus on extra workouts and even class when there were concerns over where our next meal would come from if we had run out of meal swipes to use at the dining hall.
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REFERENCES
-Garlen, G. (2022). 7 Bama players selected through first 4 rounds of 2022 NFL Draft. WBRC. Retrieved from https://www.wbrc.com/2022/04/30/7-bama-players-selected-through-first-4-rounds-2022-nfl-draft/
-Ragan, Z. (2022). ESPN reporter reveals Nick Saban’s biggest problem with NIL deals for college football players. A to Z Sports. Retrieved from https://atozsports.com/nashville/espn-nick-saban-biggest-problem-college-football/
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