This news may not be a good one for college football players. The walk-ons got yet another warning, and this time, it came from their all-time favorite coach and legend, Nick Saban. The former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach opened up about the possibility of the walk-ons being eliminated under the revamped changes that have also plagued the transfer portal. However, does Saban approve of this decision? No, not at all! Before him, Georgia Bulldogs’ Kirby Smart and Ole Miss Rebels’ Lane Kiffin pleaded for walk-ons.   

Throughout the summer of 2024, a compensation model has been considered. But what’s the purpose behind such a move? Reducing the rosters from 115 players to 85-95 would allow schools to budget to directly pay players. However, Saban does not favor this decision, as he affirmed on The Pat McAfee Show on Friday, August 30. “It really is a concern to me because some of the things moving forward that have been presented is that all players will be on scholarship and there’ll be no opportunities for walk-ons,” Saban stated. Under the current NCAA guidelines, programs are allowed 85 scholarships. 

However, it pains Saban a little to lose out on these talents. After all, the six-time National Championship winner is a man of experience, and he could fathom how eliminating the walk-ons would negatively impact college football. Saban called the entire scenario “unfortunate” for failing to give the players the due opportunity. 

“I hate it because those are the kind of guys you want on your team. They’re motivated the right way, they’re working hard every day, they’re trying to prove something, and not to be able to give them the opportunity to do that is something I don’t think is good for college sports,” claimed the legend. Was he in any way influenced by Smart’s protest?

Nick Saban and Lane Kiffin’s push to flip the NCAA decision

During the SEC spring meetings, the SEC football coaches, including Lane Kiffin, Kentucky Wildcats’ Mark Stoops, and Georgia Bulldogs’ Kirby Smart, came under the same roof. When the best minds came together, they made a valid pitch: to allow walk-ons to stay part of the sport. There Smart boldly claimed that they were not wrong in their demands, “I don’t know anybody [who] wouldn’t defend walk-ons. I mean, like, we’re talking about something that just makes sense, okay?” After all, history shows how walk-ons have flourished in their careers and become successful coaches and players. 

The coaches were even willing to go to any extent to protect the players. Kiffin said, “The coaches agreed we would pay out of our own salary, give us less money to our salary, take whatever it costs to have walk-ons, and we’ll pay it for it out of our salary.”

However, as easy as it might be for the NCAA to snub the players, it definitely has long-term effects. Before Saban, Kiffin drew attention to the fact that proceeding with a small roster without the walk-ons would risk being unable to field teams by the end of the season. The biggest example is the 2023 Orange Bowl when the Florida State Seminoles were crushed and beaten 63-3 by the Bulldogs. 

Unlike college football, which has its roster to bank upon, NFL teams can dip into the free agency pool if their 53-man active roster encounters a roadblock. Let’s wait and see whether Nick Saban and Lane Kiffin’s worries do a 180 on the NCAA’s decision.