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Nick Saban compares allowing G5 schools in College Football Playoff to Triple-A teams in MLB Playoffs

by: Alex Byington12/18/25_AlexByington

For the first time since its 2014 debut, the College Football Playoffs will include two Group of Five teams after No. 20 Tulane and No. 24 James Madison made the second-ever 12-team field as two of the five highest-ranked conference champions this season. Of course, their inclusion resulted in No. 11 Notre Dame and No. 12 BYU being left out of this year’s Playoff field, and Nick Saban is not happy about it.

The former Alabama head coach-turned-ESPN analyst joined a chorus of critics that have railed against the CFP, including Group of Five teams as part of its championship field during a Thursday appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. Saban even took it a step further when he compared JMU and Tulane making this year’s 12-team field, to Major League Baseball letting its Triple-A champion challenge for a World Series title.

“Look, would we allow the winner of the Triple-A baseball league … in the World Series playoffs?” Saban asked rhetorically. “… That’s the equivalent of what we do when JMU gets into the College Football Playoff and Notre Dame doesn’t. I mean, I don’t want to start any shit here, but it is what it is.”

Ultimately, Saban’s critique comes down to the fact that Group of Five teams effectively force the CFP to bump Power Four teams he considers more deserving of inclusion out of the 12-team field. In this year’s case, that included American Conference champion Tulane (11-2) taking the 11th-seed that would’ve otherwise gone to No. 11-ranked Notre Dame (10-2), and Sun Belt champion James Madison (12-1) taking the 12th-seed that would’ve otherwise gone to No. 12 BYU (11-2), the Big 12 runner-up.

“To me, if you’re not in the Top 15, I don’t care what league you play in, you shouldn’t be in the Playoffs. JMU, whoever it is, if you’re not in the Top 15, … it doesn’t matter. Because you’re taking somebody out of the Playoffs that deserved to be in the Playoffs,” Saban continued. “So you can think about it one way like we’re letting someone from the Group of Five in, but you’re also taking somebody that should be in out, and that’s not fair. That’s my whole point about would we let the AAA baseball team who wins their league play for the World Series. Doesn’t happen; it’s a different league.

“These guys ought to have their own playoff. If it’s all about money, just give them the money. … Give them $4 million and put Notre Dame in. You want to see Notre Dame and Oregon play? Hell yeah.”

Despite Saban’s criticisms, the Group of Five will be well-represented during Saturday’s first-round Playoff tripleheader when Tulane takes on No. 6 Ole Miss (11-1) at 3:30 p.m. ET in Oxford, and James Madison plays No. 5 Oregon (11-1) at 7:30 p.m. ET in Eugene to close out the opening round. Both those games will be simulcast on TNT, truTV and HBO Max.