Nick Saban warns of college football 'imbalance' if NIL deals aren't regulated

The Alabama Crimson Tide will play Monday night for a chance to win a seventh national championship since 2009. A day ahead of that matchup, Alabama coach Nick Saban warned that a recent rule change may cause a power imbalance in college football.

"Name, image and likeness (NIL) is a positive thing for players," Saban said Sunday, via Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated. "They've got the opportunity to earn money; I don't think that's a bad thing. What is concerning is how that's used to get players to decide where they're going to school. I don't think that was the intention.

"We need some kind of national legislation to control that. There will be an imbalance as to who dominates college football if it isn't regulated."

Georgia Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart agreed with Saban's evaluation, saying that "the separation that is already there is going to grow larger."

Name, image, and likeness deals were made legal by the NCAA in June 2021. While it's difficult to yet notice many shifts in the balance of power in college football, one notable movement has been the sudden, unprecedented recruiting power of Jackson State University. There was also a $1 million offer to Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams to transfer to Eastern Michigan.