Nick Saban’s NIL Hypocrisy Emerges in Jalen Milroe and Terrion Arnold’s LANK as He Turns Aside From ‘Pay for Play’ Statement

Alabama Crimson Tide player duo Jalen Milroe and Terron Arnold have been absolute stunners in their LANK initiative, apart from their gridiron impact. The Alabama Crimson Tide YouTube page dropped a documentary snippet on the subject. It also came with a great expose of the legend Nick Saban. By now, we all know how the ex-Alabama HC was at odds with NIL and shared his belief that it has driven college athletes wrong. But not anymore. The documentary exposed Saban’s hypocrisy as the ex-HC is seen doing a 180-degree on his old “pay for the play” stance.  

LANK is a big thing in Tuscaloosa, so it needs to be filmed. Hence, with the assistance of Aaron Suttles, the Alabama Director of Content, Crimson Tide has come up with something unique. The big shots who help the program keep going — from the present HC Kalen DeBoer, the director of Athletics Greg Byrne, and GM Courtney Morgan — all shared their takes on the initiative in a documentary. And how could they just forget Saban? However, the ex-HC moonwalked away from his previous statement.

Saban gave a hearty pat on the back for the LANK initiative, “I was very supportive…what they were trying to do but that’s really what name image and likeness was supposed to be… guys take branding opportunities value that they create for themselves and market it and make money.” But this is a different version of the ex-Crimson Tide HC.

In March this year, Saban shared, “We’re moving in the sort of semi-pro direction…We call it name, image and likeness, but that’s pay-for-play.” To him, “It’s whoever wants to pay, the most money raised, the most money to buy the most players is going to have the best opportunity to win.” Let’s dig into the initiative that exposed this side of Saban. 

Milroe and Arnold’s big idea to boost LANK post-Saban era

All this started when Saban still held the throne. The Crimson Tide came up with a motto called “LANK.” The new team mantra stands for “Let All Naysayers Know,” which came as an innovative way to boost the roster’s morale. Even though all its power initially was to safeguard the players from brutal attacks, Milroe and Arnold embarked on a mission to leverage the slogan into NIL deals.

The player behind this initiative also confirmed how Alabama players would be at the receiving end. It would greatly help them as it welcomed a partnership with Yea Alabama and Athlete’s Threads. And that’s not the end. Milroe and Arnold dreamed big and took the brand to heights by making landfall at the Rose Bowl last season.

Milroe and Arnold signed the T-shirts and other LANK merchandise. A portion of the sales went toward supporting NIL efforts for the Alabama players. Was this enough to mold Saban? Do share your thoughts!