Even Playing Field? No, Business As Usual
Nick Saban abruptly retired just ten days after the Alabama Crimson Tide’s 27-20 overtime loss to the Michigan Wolverines in an epic Rose Bowl semifinal. After the jarring announcement, no matter how you felt about Saban, there was an unshakeable whiplash. No entity in college football came close to wielding the commanding presence, and all that comes with it, that Saban firmly held.
Post-retirement, there was an influx of opinions as to why Saban stepped away. Some of them are founded, others complete drivel. Despite the outpouring of love, there was an equal amount of disdain. Honestly, that’s what made the ride so amazing. That’s the sport and the conversation around it at its finest. I for one relish the banter between fan bases and fans of the sport in general. However, there’s a difference between pure hate and insincerity. Especially regarding NIL and the role it plays in the new college football world. The go-to saying has been “The playing field was equaled.”
Alabama WR Jermaine Burton (3) - Alabama Athletics
I did a fairly good job of ignoring the litany of post-Saban retirement spiels from those people, but to be honest, it’s irking me in an unavoidable way now. What exactly do people mean when they say Saban retired because the “playing field was evened” — it’s nonsensical.
In the last four seasons, three teams have won National Championships - Alabama, Georgia, & Michigan. In that time frame, Alabama has won a National Championship, played for another, and won three of four SEC Championships. The two other teams that became champions had to beat Alabama at least once to do so. 2022 (UGA 15-0) being the only year a team didn’t have to directly beat the Tide to get one. In the same stretch (75% in the NIL era), they’ve finished first twice and second twice in national recruiting.
Where exactly has the playing field been leveled? The same rotation of teams is in contention every season in both recruiting and on-field play. The portal has gone a long way in creating nationwide parity, but not for the teams at the top. The ripple effects are seen much more from outside of the top 10-12 teams. The rich have only gotten richer, and there’s absolutely zero reason to believe that will change going forward. So, what exactly is it that people think Saban was running from?
Saban’s comments about NIL rubbed people the wrong way - let’s dive into that. When people reference the “playing field” as it pertains to NIL, it comes with the implication that Alabama was the *only* school in the country to have ever taken care of players outside of the guardrails once in place. If you’re being the slightest bit partial, you’d agree it’s an absurd thought. How would NIL, which we all know has become legal pay for play, change anything about the way business was done for a program like Alabama?
It wasn’t a leveling of the playing field, it was a green light to pour it on even more - something all of the blue blood programs have done. The recruiting rankings of this past cycle look eerily similar to the recruiting rankings of the last fifteen to twenty years. From an operation standpoint, it is still business as usual. Saban’s problem wasn’t with players making money, it was with the money superseding everything else to do with the sport. A sentiment echoed by other coaches like Kirby Smart and Lane Kiffin. Is there some hypocritical aspects to the sentiment? Maybe. However, you can’t have it both ways. Never confuse a disagreement with the way something is structured for a willingness to not take full advantage of said structure.
Whether you agree or disagree with that thought process, it’s pretty easy to understand the difference of what he’s saying. In my opinion, attrition with the coaching staff had as much to do with Saban’s departure than anything. Eventually that was bound to catch up and it did. That attrition is the very reason a bevy of people, including myself, believe 2023 was Saban’s best coaching job. It’s hard to deny the case in my opinion when you consider where the team was after an unimpressive 17-3 win over South Florida the following week after a Texas home loss.
Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor (74) - Alabama Athletics
Nevertheless, when Kalen DeBoer took over the program, there was one obvious cloud hanging over the program — how would he recruit? Following up the greatest recruiter of all time is no small task. Well, if the last two months have been any indication, DeBoer and staff (S/o Courtney Morgan) will be just fine. On Monday, Alabama Athletics announced that Kalen Deboer’s 10 million dollar, annually rising salary was approved. There’s also four positions coaches/coordinators that are making a MILLION dollars or more. Money clearly doesn’t appear to be an issue.
5 star WR Ryan Williams recommitting and signing was a cornerstone victory for that staff. Acquiring Michigan DB Keon Sabb was another major milestone. Yesterday, Iowa Tackle and former Alabama Freshman All-American Kadyn Proctor announced that he will re-enter the transfer portal and return to the Crimson Tide this spring. The theme is familiar here, even with Saban gone.
A wise man once said NIL could create a situation where it’s “The haves versus the have nots….and we’re one of the haves.” I think that rings true as much today as it did when he said it two years ago. Because it’s business as usual.