The most elite coach in college football has spoken. Alabama legend Nick Saban says Name, Image and Likeness deals have fundamentally altered the recruiting landscape in college football, erasing long-standing regional advantages for programs like those in the Southeastern Conference.
Saban joined his College GameDay co-host Pat McAfee on his show on Friday noting that high school recruits are increasingly basing their college choices on financial incentives rather than traditional program prestige.
"Kids are not growing up wanting to go to Alabama, wanting to go to Georgia, wanting to go to Florida, wanting to go to Texas. They want to go wherever to who is going to pay them the most money," Saban said.
The seven-time national champion pointed to a cultural shift among prospects who once dreamed of playing for powerhouse programs based on history and regional ties. Historically, the SEC has been known for elite programs, but now with money factoring in, the decision can be anywhere.
"I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that, I’m just saying that culture (of college football) has changed, which I think has made the regional advantage that the Southeastern Conference has had for years is no longer an advantage."
The NIL era has shown us how the current era of college football is defined by financial opportunities for recruits, making young athletes far more willing to leave home if a program comes with sufficient resources—specifically, money.
“These kids are not really as passionate, maybe they’re not as hungry, because they have all this noise all the time,” Saban told McAfee. You know, ‘I’m getting in the portal at the end of the year, I’m not playing enough, what’s my role on the team?’ So what’s the commitment to the team and the commitment of the player to the team relative to what it was normally when we played?”
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