Alabama’s Nick Saban talks NIL, says recruits are choosing to play ‘where they can make the most money’

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The name, image and likeness era has changed the landscape of college athletics. 

With players now able to profit from their name, athletes are basing decisions on where to play at least partly on how much money they stand to make during their college careers. 

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban and offensive line coach Eric Wolford during a game against the Mississippi Rebels Nov. 12, 2022, at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss.  (Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Alabama head coach Nick Saban, who has been a proponent of college athletes earning compensation, has made it clear he sees flaws in the current NIL system. 

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"The issue is, when you create those [collectives] for people, are you establishing a pay-for-play type of environment that can be used in recruiting? So now, all the sudden, guys are not going to school where they can create the most value for their future," Saban told Sports Illustrated. "Guys are going to school where they can make the most money. I don’t think that is even the best thing for the player."

NIL collectives pool money from boosters and businesses and help facilitate NIL deals for athletes. 

Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide during pregame warmups prior to facing the Auburn Tigers at Bryant-Denny Stadium Nov. 26, 2022, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.  (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

"You went to college. I went to college," Saban added. "Why were we going? We had goals and aspirations for how we wanted to create value for our future. Sometimes these things can be a distraction