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CrimsonApe1Jan 21, 4:46 PM

Saban Tried to Warn Us

When Saban retired, people said it was because he couldn’t keep up, but I don’t buy that at all. I think he clearly saw how chaotic NIL and the transfer portal were becoming, combined with the NCAA’s complete lack of governing authority. Once state courts started driving decisions with no uniform national framework, it was obvious the system was headed for dysfunction. Saban tried to sound the alarm, he testified before Congress and was very clear about the issues, and nothing changed. At some point, you realize the people in charge aren’t going to fix it. I think he read the writing on the wall, decided it wasn’t going to get better, and did the smart thing: got out. I don’t even pretend to have a solution, but I have zero faith in the NCAA to fix this, and even less faith in a Congress that can barely chew gum and walk at the same time.
46 Replies
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BamaMTA06

Jan 21, 4:48 PM

Maybe the lesson is don't build a billion dollar industry off of what should've been an extracurricular activity
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CrimsonApe1

Jan 21, 4:57 PM

That may be it. May the industry will have to crash and burn before it can get better.
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Alabama Jones

Jan 21, 5:34 PM

CrimsonApe1 said:
When Saban retired, people said it was because he couldn’t keep up, but I don’t buy that at all. I think he clearly saw how chaotic NIL and the transfer portal were becoming, combined with the NCAA’s complete lack of governing authority. Once state courts started driving decisions with no uniform national framework, it was obvious the system was headed for dysfunction. Saban tried to sound the alarm, he testified before Congress and was very clear about the issues, and nothing changed. At some point, you realize the people in charge aren’t going to fix it. I think he read the writing on the wall, decided it wasn’t going to get better, and did the smart thing: got out. I don’t even pretend to have a solution, but I have zero faith in the NCAA to fix this, and even less faith in a Congress that can barely chew gum and walk at the same time.
There have been more pressing concerns going on for a while for anyone to care about what college kids are doing and there won’t be a congress related ruling for a while. the NCAA using them as a scapegoat was a terrible idea. They need to nut up and lay down the law.
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CrimsonApe1

Jan 21, 5:40 PM

Alabama Jones said:
There have been more pressing concerns going on for a while for anyone to care about what college kids are doing and there won’t be a congress related ruling for a while. the NCAA using them as a scapegoat was a terrible idea. They need to nut up and lay down the law.
Cool, but say the NCAA does “nut up” and regulate NIL then a state court knocks it out as an antitrust violation. Now what? We’ve seen this movie already. Until there’s federal legislation, NCAA regulation is just an invitation to litigation.
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Ceooftheroc

Jan 21, 5:46 PM

Due to the courts, the NCAA no longer has any teeth. If anything is going to change, it's going to be due to legislation, not the NCAA attempting to enforce things it no longer has the power to do.
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chefrossi

Jan 21, 5:49 PM

the ncaa can't fix anything anymore. the toothpaste is out of the tube. it's up to the csc, the conferences, congress, or collective bargaining.
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Tide_Keep_Rolling

Jan 21, 5:53 PM

Only thing that will fix it is attendance and ratings decline.
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Ceooftheroc

Jan 21, 5:59 PM

Tide_Keep_Rolling said:
Only thing that will fix it is attendance and ratings decline.
Attendance and ratings aren't going anywhere. Nielsen reported a like a 20% increase in viewership in 2025 compared to 2024. The "average" fan is being priced out of attending games in person but there are more than enough people with the means to pick up their slack. This is a congress, or to @chefrossi point, the conferences and commissioners' issue to fix.
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Remiden

Jan 21, 6:24 PM

It's only really a problem for a few teams. Other teams and fan bases are loving it.
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TiftonTide1

Jan 21, 6:31 PM

Remiden said:
It's only really a problem for a few teams. Other teams and fan bases are loving it.
Wut?
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JBT Assoc

Jan 21, 6:34 PM

Ceooftheroc said:
Attendance and ratings aren't going anywhere. Nielsen reported a like a 20% increase in viewership in 2025 compared to 2024. The "average" fan is being priced out of attending games in person but there are more than enough people with the means to pick up their slack. This is a congress, or to @chefrossi point, the conferences and commissioners' issue to fix.
I really can’t see how Congress, or the Conferences can change much. Anything which limits what players can earn from their NIL will be in the judicial system immediately.
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Transportman

Jan 21, 6:42 PM

Remiden said:
It's only really a problem for a few teams. Other teams and fan bases are loving it.
You are probably right, but I wonder how long the "other" teams will enjoy it. As long as success is driven by big money, those with even bigger money will have even more success, resulting in those with just "big" money becoming disenchanted. Seems at some point, it might come down to the select few with the most money, If this happens, then all of the poorer others rise up and demand change. Assuming this happens, I wonder how long it will take.
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MNBamaFan

Jan 21, 6:51 PM

Transportman said:
... If this happens, then all of the poorer others rise up and demand change. Assuming this happens, I wonder how long it will take.
No one listens to the poor so nothing is going to change for a long while.
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Transportman

Jan 21, 6:56 PM

MNBamaFan said:
No one listens to the poor so nothing is going to change for a long while.
Cannot disagree with that sentiment.
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Opie Archibald

Jan 21, 7:15 PM

BTW, the reason Saban retired are all pretty clear, there’s the number one factor and in the lesser factors 1) coach was old, remember the nightmare of hiring coordinators for the 2023 season. Remember how it seemed like our assistant coach quality was dipping, noticed how our scouting and recruiting was getting worse. Nick is quite open with the fact that he was having a much harder time promising assistance that he would be there for four years, and having an even harder time making that promise to players 2) NIL: coach warned against this for years, I don’t think it was the mere fact of NIO that played a position in his retirement, but the sheer lack of leadership from the NCAA and that lack of leadership did the players, and when point one is the major factor it makes handling point two even harder
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Boudreauxtide

Jan 21, 7:22 PM

CrimsonApe1 said:
When Saban retired, people said it was because he couldn’t keep up, but I don’t buy that at all. I think he clearly saw how chaotic NIL and the transfer portal were becoming, combined with the NCAA’s complete lack of governing authority. Once state courts started driving decisions with no uniform national framework, it was obvious the system was headed for dysfunction. Saban tried to sound the alarm, he testified before Congress and was very clear about the issues, and nothing changed. At some point, you realize the people in charge aren’t going to fix it. I think he read the writing on the wall, decided it wasn’t going to get better, and did the smart thing: got out. I don’t even pretend to have a solution, but I have zero faith in the NCAA to fix this, and even less faith in a Congress that can barely chew gum and walk at the same time.
It will take the four conferences to set guardrails. If they can’t all agree to change and parameters college sports are toast. Or colleges will be required to collectively bargain. School presidents are now pressing the issue because academic funding is dwindling because donors are being asked to pay for another edge rusher or WR
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hvacigar

Jan 21, 7:27 PM

Saban is not built to listen to a kid that knows nothing about what it takes to be excellent at his position shake him down for money. That was never going to happen.
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bonecoach

Jan 21, 7:48 PM

Opie Archibald said:
BTW, the reason Saban retired are all pretty clear, there’s the number one factor and in the lesser factors 1) coach was old, remember the nightmare of hiring coordinators for the 2023 season. Remember how it seemed like our assistant coach quality was dipping, noticed how our scouting and recruiting was getting worse. Nick is quite open with the fact that he was having a much harder time promising assistance that he would be there for four years, and having an even harder time making that promise to players 2) NIL: coach warned against this for years, I don’t think it was the mere fact of NIO that played a position in his retirement, but the sheer lack of leadership from the NCAA and that lack of leadership did the players, and when point one is the major factor it makes handling point two even harder
1 and 2 are valid points, but the thing that drove him out was the unlimited transfer portal. Makes it almost impossible to build a solid roster and develop players over a couple of years. The powers that be can fix that if they want to without congress.
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78lives

Jan 21, 8:00 PM

BamaMTA06 said:
Maybe the lesson is don't build a billion dollar industry off of what should've been an extracurricular activity
Football, especially in the South, has never been just an extracurricular activity.
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Alabama Jones

Jan 21, 8:09 PM

CrimsonApe1 said:
Cool, but say the NCAA does “nut up” and regulate NIL then a state court knocks it out as an antitrust violation. Now what? We’ve seen this movie already. Until there’s federal legislation, NCAA regulation is just an invitation to litigation.
They need to try cause federal shite isn’t happening any time soon.
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WWG

Jan 21, 8:12 PM

Opie Archibald said:
BTW, the reason Saban retired are all pretty clear, there’s the number one factor and in the lesser factors 1) coach was old, remember the nightmare of hiring coordinators for the 2023 season. Remember how it seemed like our assistant coach quality was dipping, noticed how our scouting and recruiting was getting worse. Nick is quite open with the fact that he was having a much harder time promising assistance that he would be there for four years, and having an even harder time making that promise to players 2) NIL: coach warned against this for years, I don’t think it was the mere fact of NIO that played a position in his retirement, but the sheer lack of leadership from the NCAA and that lack of leadership did the players, and when point one is the major factor it makes handling point two even harder
Transfer portal was a massive reason. played havoc with development timelines.
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Alabama Jones

Jan 21, 8:12 PM

78lives said:
Football, especially in the South, has never been just an extracurricular activity.
Yeah. It’s been a means to make money. Now they can get the money sooner. So you encourage this current state of CFB.
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CrimsonApe1

Jan 21, 8:30 PM

Alabama Jones said:
They need to try cause federal shite isn’t happening any time soon.
The NCAA effectively has no real power as long as its rules can be overridden by state and federal courts. Any attempt at enforcement just invites litigation, and schools or athletes know the courts will likely side against restrictions framed as anticompetitive. Without congressional action granting limited antitrust protection or a uniform federal framework, the NCAA isn’t a governing body, it’s a suggestion box.
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Opie Archibald

Jan 21, 8:57 PM

WWG said:
Transfer portal was a massive reason. played havoc with development timelines.
Very true

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