Nick Saban says college firings are product of pay-for-play era - ESPN

Former Alabama coach Nick Saban said he isn't surprised by the recent string of high-profile firings in college football because fans and alumni who donate money to programs are more influential than ever thanks to name, image and likeness deals and revenue sharing.

There have already been nine in-season firings at FBS schools this season, including six at programs in Power 4 conferences.

«You know, I'm not [surprised] because everybody's raising money to pay players,» Saban said. «So, the people that are giving the money think they have a voice and they're just like a bunch of fans. When they get frustrated and disappointed, they put pressure on the [athletic directors] to take action, and it's the way of the world.»

On Sunday, Florida fired Billy Napier, who was 22-23 in four seasons. The Gators owe Napier about $21 million, with half of that buyout due within 30 days. The remainder will be paid in three annual installments starting next summer.

Penn State owes former coach James Franklin roughly $49 million after it fired him on Oct. 12. It's the second-biggest buyout in college football history behind only Jimbo Fisher's $76 million buyout from Texas A&M following his firing in 2023.

"It's unfair as hell," Saban, now an ESPN analyst, told Franklin during the fired coach's appearance on «College GameDay» last Saturday. «For you to go to the Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, get to the final four [of the CFP], come out being ranked [No. 2] this year — an expectation that you created by what you accomplished at Penn State — and for those people not to show enough appreciation for that and gratitude for all the hard work that you did, I'm saying it's unfair.»

Some of what the Nittany Lions owe Franklin, whose teams had a 104-45