Greg Byrne Talks NIL, “There Were No Guardrails Put in Place”

At the annual SEC spring meetings in Destin, FL this week, University of Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne spoke candidly on the evolution of college sports.

From name, image and likeness (NIL) to the transfer portal, Byrne opened up on the latest changes to come to the world of collegiate athletics.

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Elaborating on what the rise of NIL has looked like for himself and the University of Alabama, Byrne said, "The world is evolving and NIL is here, it's a reality," Byrne continued, "There were no guardrails put in place, so it has created new challenges."

"Those challenges aren't going to go away right now, so what we've got to do is make sure we're open minded and following whatever guidelines that are in place."

Diving into the recent back and forth between Jimbo Fisher and Nick Saban, Byrne was again candid, saying calmly, "I think coach Fisher was fired up," Byrne continued, "I know we feel very good about out compliance and what we do at Alabama and that's gonna continue in the future."

Asked about Saban's role in the commotion, the athletic director opted to speak to the coach's passion for the game instead, saying, "Coach Saban is very passionate about the game of college football," Byrne continued, "I think he deserves a lot of credit for the things he says and does out there publicly. Not only what's right for our program and university but what's right for the game of football going forward."

While the public dispute between the two coaches is likely over, the two will face off against one another on October 8 when the Aggies travel to Tuscaloosa for what is shaping up to be one of the Tide's most important matchups.