Nick Saban believes the rise of NIL has created a new problem for college football coaches: the growing influence of the boosters and alumni funding it all. Speaking with Theo Von on "This Past Weekend," the former Alabama head coach was asked about the large number of coaches who lost their jobs during the 2025 season. Saban pointed to the changing financial structure of college football as part of the reason.
"When you can’t evaluate the players, and don’t pay the right guys, you’re going to pay the consequences for that in the future because you’re going to spend all this money and not have a very good team. And you’re not going to get the outcome everybody expects," Saban said. "The cause and effect of paying players is we’re raising money from alumni who now think they should have a say in what happens, and that’s why 33 coaches got fired last year." Last season had one of the wildest coaching carousels in recent memory.
It started with Virginia Tech firing Brent Pry and UCLA dismissing DeShaun Foster in September. Oklahoma State then made the stunning decision to fire longtime head coach Mike Gundy. Penn State dismissed James Franklin, LSU fired Brian Kelly, Florida let go of Billy Napier, and Hugh Freeze lost his job at Auburn.
In total, more than a dozen Power Four head coaches were fired, while 32 FBS head coaching jobs changed hands during the cycle. Over $150 million was reportedly spent on buyouts for fired coaches and assistants. More news: Oregon Gets Good News on QB Dante Moore After Scary Concussion More news: Eli Drinkwitz Earns National Spotlight After Missouri Humbles Florida NIL rules started in 2021, allowing athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness, while the 2025 House settlement opened the door for schools to directly share revenue with athletes.
That's pushed schools and their supporters to raise and spend substantially more money on rosters. Saban's argument centers on the belief that the new funding model has changed the relationship between coaches and the people financing their programs. When boosters are asked to contribute millions toward building a roster, it can start to feel like they should have a bigger voice in how the program is run.
As a result, that can create more pressure on athletic directors when a team falls short of expectations. This isn't the first time Saban has voiced his concerns over the NIL model. He previously argued that the current system lacks sufficient control and guardrails, while adding that he supports the idea of athletes being able to make money.
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