Beneath the sheen and glitter that layers CFB is a dark reality. Unfortunately, the sport is almost synonymous with disparity. The advent of NIL has only made it more prominent. Schools towards the top of the food chain can use their NIL arsenal to lure talent. Keeping it away from the proverbial bottom-feeders and fanning the flames of this inequality. There is a glass ceiling that stops those schools from being successful. The latest revelation regarding Nick Saban makes it apparent that things will continue this way for the foreseeable.

In a twisted turn of events, Nick Saban is helping the Georgia Bulldogs on the NIL front. An SEC rival and the program that ended Alabama’s dynastic run with 2 National Championships. Here’s a timeline of what’s transpiring. Nick Saban and Georgia state senator Brandon Beach, alongside their wives, attended a dinner not long ago. This was before the beginning of the 2024 season at a common friend’s house. Naturally, a conversation between the pair digressed into College Football, and the Bulldogs in particular. Beach asked Saban how he can, from a legislator’s capacity, help Kirby Smart’s Dawgs be more successful than they’ve already been. Saban suggested something so potent it didn’t just flick a light bulb; it’s now an official bill.

“If you want to do one thing to help Kirby with recruiting is to eliminate the state income tax on the NIL deals,” said Nick Saban. This was relayed by Beach to reporter Daniel Libit. This wasn’t really an Eureka moment, but it was notable. With NIL and imminently revenue sharing, student-athletes have to pay taxes on what they make. Each state has its different taxation rules, which means a player could make more or less from the same deal depending on their school. Georgia currently taxes players at 5.39%. If this went down to 0%, they’ll have another advantage in recruitment. Mind you, this is a school that regularly ranks in the top 3 for recruitment across the country. Nick Saban essentially helped prosper the already prosperous Kirby Smart. A rival of his beloved Crimson Tide nonetheless. But was this just a naive mistake, or is Saban playing chess?

‘Sports Talk J’ discussed this development with over on his namesake YouTube channel. As a Tennessee fan, he was puzzled by Nick Saban inadvertently helping a fellow SEC member. The Vols actually have a significant advantage currently, as their state is tax-free. So do Texas-based schools and those in Florida. However, J floated a theory that Saban may have wanted to get the rules changed in Georgia so that the powers that be in Alabama can then follow suit.

He remarked that if Saban approached them directly, he could’ve fallen in trouble for being a Bama “homer”. Instead, he went this route, knowing the state will also change tax rules if Georgia gains an advantage. Whether this convoluted plan is true or not, it’s not far-fetched for one of the greatest minds in the sport’s history. Kirby Smart doesn’t need the tax exempt, but Kalen DeBoer perhaps does.

Nick Saban’s aid for Kirby Smart will indirectly alleviate Kalen DeBoer of his issues

One year is an eternity in College Football. Now, Nick Saban’s retirement was always bound to cause a seismic shift in the sport. The earthquake happened, and a year on, its aftershocks are still reverberating across the epicenter of Tuscaloosa. The problem for the Crimson Tide is that these shocks aren’t quite dissipating. In fact, they are tearing up the foundation. There is concern that the house Saban built is now standing rather precariously under the tenancy of Kalen DeBoer.

A mass exodus of players has taken place out of Bama via the transfer portal. A number of key personnel have left, and not as many have come in to replace them. Add to this, their high school recruitment hasn’t been as great as during the Saban era either. Players who Saban recruited are leaving for other programs or the NFL, and DeBoer hasn’t retooled as well. As such, a tax exemption could boost their chances. The state of Alabama currently sits at 5%, 3rd in the SEC behind South Carolina and Georgia. Now that Georgia has this bill in the pipeline, things could get even bleaker. Saban may have either cast a ray of light onto his successor or more gloomy clouds.

If this bill passes, and Sports Talk J reckons it will, it will not just help athletes but programs too. The domino effect of Georgia could propel Alabama and a host of other states to follow suit. Unless it’s a blanket exemption, which the House Settlement could bring about, this will only amplify the disparity between teams. It’s also important to keep in perspective a caveat. You don’t want players to pick schools depending on where they have to pay the least taxes. Every solution in this sport spurs a new problem. Hopefully, Nick Saban hasn’t opened a can of worms with his suggestion to Senator Beach.