SEC Publicly Reprimands Jimbo Fisher, Nick Saban Following Public Feud

The big-time college coaches have engaged in a public war of words this week over Texas A&M’s NIL deals.

The Southeastern Conference issued public reprimands to Jimbo Fisher and Nick Saban Thursday in light of recent comments from both coaches criticizing their respective programs.

The statement, obtained by The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach, includes remarks from SEC commissioner Greg Sankey addressing the board’s disapproval of Fisher and Saban’s actions. The Texas A&M coach set the college football world ablaze earlier in the day with a host of scathing remarks aimed at Saban less than 24 hours after the Alabama coach claimed the Aggies “bought every player on their team” through name, image and likeness deals.

“The membership of the Southeastern Conference has established expectations for conduct and sportsmanship that were not met last night nor today,” Sankey said. “A hallmark of the SEC is intense competition within an environment of collaboration. Public criticism of any kind does not resolve issues and creates a distraction from seeking solutions for the issues facing college athletics today."

The SEC formally reprimanded Saban for “comments he made in violation of SEC Bylaws 10.2.3 and 10.5.2 related to Ethical Conduct for derogatory comments and public criticism of another institution’s athletics program.” Meanwhile, Fisher earned his penalty for “comments he made in violation of SEC Bylaw 10.5.2 related to Ethical Conduct for public criticism of another member institution’s staff.”

Fisher blasted Saban on a number of fronts Thursday during his lengthy presser, and called the Crimson Tide coach’s comments “despicable” and “disgusting.” He also encouraged reporters to “dig into” Saban’s past, and even went as far as calling him a “narcissist” who could use a little more than a stern talking to.

Saban later issued an apology to Fisher and Jackson State coach Deion Sanders, whom he also made pay-for-play allegations against, for his recent accusations. “I should have never singled anybody out,” Saban said on ESPNU radio’s Off-Campus. “That was a mistake and I apologize for that part of it.”

Sankey, the SEC’s commissioner since 2015, also highlighted the “tremendous frustration” concerning a lack of established NIL rules in each state before sharing the conference’s commitment toward finding resolutions heading into spring meetings.

“There is tremendous frustration concerning the absence of consistent rules from state to state related to name, image and likeness. We need to work together to find solutions and that will be our focus at the upcoming SEC Spring Meetings.”

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