College football has been transformed over recent seasons, and now Nick Saban has had his say on its future. Speaking at the 2024 Nick Saban Legacy Awards, the former Alabama head coach used his time to talk on many topics, including his successor — Kalen DeBoer — and his appearances on College GameDay.
However, Saban addressed the future of college football, using two legendary coaches to reinforce his point.
Nick Saban Speaks About Improving College Football
Despite being recently retired, coach Saban isn’t going anywhere. While he won’t be on the Alabama sidelines on Saturdays, his face will still be a part of college football, and the greatest college head coach of all time is ready to help the sport transform into a better product.
On Monday, February 19, Saban spoke about how college football has changed and how it can improve.
“If coach [Bear] Bryant or coach [Bobby] Bowden could all of a sudden be with us tonight, what would they think of college football right now?”
Bear Bryant is an icon of Alabama football and was head coach of the Crimson Tide between 1958 and 1982, overseeing six national title wins and 14 SEC championships.
Bobby Bowden, on the other hand, was most famously head coach of the Florida State Seminoles between 1976 and 2009 and was honored at the 2024 Nick Saban Legacy Awards.
Saban used the two legendary coaches to reinforce why college football needs to continue evolving.
“That should be the very reason that we’re all very much committed to what we can do to make college football something where players can have a great quality of life, but we still have a venue where they have an opportunity to grow and learn and be successful.”
Saban isn’t the first head coach to speak out about the changes that college football has undergone in recent seasons. Before the college football playoffs, former Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh also spoke about the need for college football to develop.
However, the recent comments from Saban go further. The former Alabama HC is advocating to be actively involved in helping college football improve on its recent changes.
“I would like to be a part of trying to help people who are working hard to make that happen – like Greg Sankey, like Greg Byrne – like our conference commissioners are trying to do. That’s important for young people, and it’s something that we’re very much committed to.”
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Whether you believe it is for better or worse, the recent conference realignments and NIL have changed the landscape of college football. However, the alleged additional workload that NIL and recruiting have added to the role has driven college head coaches to other positions.
The lack of regulation has resulted in a playing field that is not level, and it appears that Coach Saban is ready to help college football become a better place for competition and athletes in the future.
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