Alabama Alum Rescues NIL Era’s Reputation After Nick Saban’s Brutal Assessment Shakes CFB

College football just ain’t what it used to be—at least, not according to the GOAT himself, Nick Saban. The man who turned Alabama into a dynasty is out, and the game is shifting fast. With NIL deals running the show and the transfer portal looking like college football’s version of NBA free agency, it’s no shock that Saban has been sounding the alarm. But while he’s out here throwing grenades at the new system, an Alabama alum is coming in hot with a different perspective—one that actually gives NIL some credit. And let’s be real, in an era where money talks and tradition walks, that might be what college football needs.

Nick Saban has never been one to sugarcoat things, and when it comes to NIL, he’s basically been college football’s grumpy old man, yelling at a cloud of dollar bills. On the Pat McAfee Show back in December, Saban laid it all out: “Each year it’s gotten a little worse. The first year we had name, image and likeness, four or five years ago, we had $3 million, and… Then the next year it was seven. Then the next year it’s 10….it’s 13. Now they’re looking at 20. I mean, where does it end?”

And he didn’t stop there. He also threw in a jab about how donors are basically burning cash on kids who might not even stay: “The people who are supporting this, they really get no benefit for it. And I’m sure that there’s going to be some instances in the future where those people don’t want to continue to support players that aren’t there. Guys are looking to where can I develop value right now and more about what can I get instantly in terms of getting in the portal or going to another school.” Translation? The Wild West of NIL is getting wilder with grab bag and dip culture, and Saban ain’t here for it.

But hold on. Not all Bama legends are on Nick Saban’s anti-NIL wave. On February 3rd, Greg McElroy, the 2010 national champion and now ESPN analyst, sees NIL as a game-changer—and not in a bad way. On his podcast, ‘Always College Football with Greg McElroy’, he broke it down: “If you look at the teams and the way talent is starting to spread out across college football, we’re no longer seeing the super teams anymore.”

McElroy made a point that should have every non-Bama, non-Georgia, non-Ohio State fan jumping for joy. Thanks to NIL, the days of five-star recruits rotting on the bench while waiting for their turn are over. “The guys that used to be backups are now starting at other places,” then he continued, “And all you have to do is just look at recruiting rankings and how many teams are now involved for the top-tier prospects. NIL has leveled the playing field there very much so because now, alright, I might not have as deep of resources, my pockets might not be as deep as a Texas or an Ohio State or a Texas A&M, but we have 10 million in NIL; we can go and get good players too.”

NIL’s making it easier for schools with less money to compete with the big dogs like Texas and Ohio State. Even if their pockets ain’t deep, they can still get top-tier players by offering fat NIL deals. With NIL changing the game, the talent pool’s spreading out more. The elite players ain’t just flocking to the same schools anymore. Teams that can offer good NIL deals are snatching up those top recruits and building strong squads instead of letting the same teams stockpile all the stars.

McElroy ain’t wrong. The NIL era has led to a talent redistribution across the sport. Instead of Alabama and Georgia hoarding All-Americans like Thanos collecting Infinity Stones, schools like Oregon are back in the mix.

NIL: The great equalizer or just a pay-to-play circus?

Whether you love it or hate it, NIL is shaking up the sport. The biggest spenders are now flexing their wallets in a way that could reshape the College Football Playoff. Teams that historically had no shot at competing with the bluebloods now have a pathway to relevance—as long as their boosters are willing to cut the check.

Look at Texas A&M, for example. They went all-in on NIL and landed the No. 1 recruiting class in 2022. Did it translate to dominance? Not exactly. But the precedent was set: money can move mountains in recruiting. And with the expanded 12-team playoff coming, these big-money programs won’t have to be perfect to make a run—they just need to be rich and try not to lose more than 2-3 games.

Nick Saban, meanwhile, is watching the empire he built become just another powerhouse in a sea of rising contenders. At Bama, he could handpick his recruits like he was casting a Marvel movie. Now? Players have options. And they’re picking the schools that offer the best blend of exposure, development, and, let’s be real, cash.

Look, Nick Saban ain’t entirely wrong. NIL has turned college football into a high-stakes bidding war, and some schools might struggle to keep up. But McElroy’s point stands: this new era is forcing the sport to evolve. More parity means more exciting matchups, more Cinderella stories, and fewer years where the championship feels predetermined by September.

For fans tired of seeing the same teams run the table every season. NIL might just be the best thing to happen to college football in decades. The sport is changing. And whether the old guard likes it or not, the money train is rolling full speed ahead.