Legendary Alabama coach Nick Saban insisted after his January retirement that he stepped away simply because he was slowing down a bit, but his exact reasoning is becoming more complicated by the day.
Saban admitted in a recent ESPN profile that the changing landscape of college football, including an emphasis on NIL deals and the proliferation of the transfer portal, “contributed” to his decision, explaining that “70 to 80 percent” of his Alabama roster was focused on either transferring or demanding more money as soon as the 2023 season ended.
Speaking at a congressional roundtable hosted by Sen. Ted Cruz about NIL on Tuesday, Saban elaborated on his thoughts about the state of college sports.
Saban said his wife approached him just before his retirement and asked, “Why are we doing this? All they care about is how much you’re going to pay them.”
Nick Saban said his wife, Terry, came to him before his retirement and told him, “Why are we doing this?” She told him that the players now only care about how much money they are making.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) March 12, 2024
“All the things that I believed in for all these years, 50 years of coaching, no longer exist in college athletics,” Saban said. While Saban isn’t young by any means — he turned 72…
