Coach Nick Saban and Deion Sanders are like night and day when it comes to NIL. Saban’s quite old-school and is miles away from Coach Prime’s full-on embrace of the new rules.

Nick Saban calls NIL “pay for play” and believes it’s ruining the core nature of the game. Meanwhile, Prime, on the other hand, is using NIL to build his brand and attract top talent. Now, Deion’s close confidant thinks there’s a deeper reason for the hate towards Coach Prime than his contrasting approach.

On the July 24th, ‘Thee Pregame Show’ Uncle Neely says, “Coach Prime represents the change that will come.” He notes, “When he [Saban] read the tea leaves and saw what was coming, whether that is you know streaming, NIL, media, collectives, you name it all stirred in the same pot in the same time. He didn’t even participate in this change, you know.” That’s how Saban gave his “I’m out” attitude on NIL. But Prime is different. He’s embracing the change and making waves.

Neely also said, “If this black man becomes the first black coach to win a national championship and he does it all while remaining, acting, and showing that he’s black, it changes the game.” That’s why people are so critical of Prime. They’re not used to seeing a Black coach in the spotlight like this. And the change “scares the hell out of people,” according to Neely. 

Looks like it’s not just a clash of old and new schools, but more to it! However, Deion Sanders seems unfazed, giving his raw opinions on NIL. 

Deion Sanders is striking the perfect NIL balance

Deion Sanders is all for the new NIL rules! He told BET.com back in April, “I’m happy about NIL because players deserve to get paid if they’re making a difference.” But he also wants his players to focus on winning championships, not just making money. He says, “They’re playing for a bigger prize and that’s the NFL.” Now, Coach Prime wants a balanced approach. Even this July, he told Big 12 reporters that if players get paid like pros, they should also be treated like pros. He doesn’t want his guys to “put the bag in front of the game.”

Now, this doesn’t mean he’s against NIL. He’s actually embracing it and making changes based on his values. He believes in rewarding players, and he’s using his upcoming Nike Air Max DT 96 shoes as an incentive, too. He plans to give them to his best players as a way to say “great job!“

It seems like the Colorado Buffaloes locker room is going to see a lot more changes like this. Coach Prime is all about innovation, and the rest of the team will likely follow his lead.