Nick Saban Calls New Era of College Football “Not Sustainable”

Alabama football head coach Nick Saban spoke out about the new era of college football in an interview with the Associated Press.

“I don’t think what we’re doing right now is a sustainable model,” said Saban.

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This comes less than one year after the NCAA implemented its Name, Image, and Likeness Policy, which lets student-athletes sign brand deals, sponsorship, and make money off of their brand.

Some athletes though, make bank at a quick rate. For example; last summer, Saban announced that quarterback Bryce Young had "made at least seven figures" before taking an official snap in crimson and white.

Saban is the the second notable head coach to openly discuss how he views the ever-changing era of college football. Clemson football head coach Dabo Swinney has been the most vocal about his displeasure with changes, going as far as calling for a "complete blowup."

“That creates a situation where you can basically buy players. You can do it in recruiting. I mean, if that’s what we want college football to be, I don’t know. And you can also get players to get in the transfer portal to see if they can get more someplace else than they can get at your place," said Saban.

Although not mentioned directly by Saban, the idea of "buying recruits" has gotten some heat in recent weeks. Last month, the Athletic reported that a University of Tennessee football commit signed an $8 million NIL deal that would run through his first three years of his time in Knoxville, Tenn.

In the last year, college football has created the NIL Policy and discussed expanding the college football playoffs from four teams to 12; however, cannot do the latter until at least 2026.