unknown date 1995; E. Lansing, MI, USA; FILE PHOTO; Michigan State Spartans head coach Nick Saban during the 1995 season. Mandatory Credit: Photo By Imagn Images © Copyright Imagn Images RVR Photos-Imagn Images

Former MSU Coach Saban Sounds Off on NIL, CFB Landscape

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Aidan Champion | Last updated May 18, 2025 3:20 PM ET

There's no question the current landscape of college athletics has gotten out of hand. Frankly, you're kidding yourself if you think the system is perfect.

It's far from it.

The transfer portal and Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) have become exactly what they were feared to be: essentially professional free agency. Except there's very little restriction.

Even former Michigan State football coach Nick Saban, perhaps the greatest college football coach of all time, has a problem with it.

Saban recently sounded off on NIL when he joined The Next Round this past week.

"Look, I want everybody to know, I'm not against players making money," Saban said, a statement we've heard other coaches preface before expressing the same concerns. "I think they deserve to do that. I think Name, Image and likeness is no longer Name, Image and Likeness; it's become play for pay.

"So, the system that we're paying players right now probably is a little bit off the rails. And we probably need to do something to get all the state laws the same so that everybody competes on a level playing field, authentic Name, Image and Likeness, which means it really and truly is like a marketing opportunity. And when this House settlement comes down, there will probably be some revenue sharing and some guidelines that we can build around hopefully to make the game a little better."

Saban was recently named a co-chair on President Donald Trump's commission on college sports, which has the intention of getting college athletics back to a reasonable place.

This wasn't the first time Saban voiced his concerns with this current era of college sports. He also did so a few months back when he joined The Pat McAfee Show.

“The people out there need to know this model is unsustainable,” he said. “It’s not good for players. Players need to get compensated, no doubt. But it has to be done in a way where, in some kind of way, have competitive balance and that every school has the same thing.

"One school can’t spend $30 million for players while another school's spending $3 million. I mean, people in Congress -- I don’t care who has to get off their butt and do something.”

Saban has taken it upon himself to help make the changes with his joining of this Presidential commission.

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This article first appeared on Michigan State Spartans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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