Op-Ed: Sanders' dreams became Saban's nightmares in college football's wild west

Alabama's legend was passed up by NIL deals and lost a love for the game

CU Buffs

Throughout the history of college sports there have been many who’ve left an imprint. From the days of Peyton Manning and Adrian Peterson to the current players like Shedeur Sanders and Caleb Williams, college has transcended since its early days. However, this new era of college football is unprecedented. Players are receiving NIL contracts with little oversight. Also, the Name, Image, and Likeness scene isn’t what it was before. We’re not talking about athlete meeting fans at a local used car lot.

Gone are the days of player likeness being used in advertisements and games. EA Sports has even offered players a one-time $600 payment and a copy of the game to use their likeness in the upcoming NCAA College Football game. But even with all the buzz of players finally getting their due, does this cause problems for the game of football? One former coach thinks so. Nick Saban recently came out and shared his opinions on the deals being brokered.

The coaching GOAT feels that the NIL deals are compromising players' mentality for the game. “Maybe this doesn’t work anymore,” Saban told ESPN. “The goals and aspirations are just different and that is all about how much money can I make as a college player? I’m not saying that’s bad. I’m not saying it’s wrong, I’m just saying that’s never been what we were all about, and it's not why we had success through the years.”

Saban does have a point. It may be reactionary from not having things his way anymore and realizing the game isn’t his to alter. But it brings to light the millions of dollars flowing through college athletics right now.

Many players are looking for their next payday and will ignore the fundamentals that shape you as a player and as a human being. It could also stir trouble in terms of off the field antics. Take Johnny Manziel for example, he lived wild while at Texas A&M and that is without NIL deals. Manziel is a prime example of what could happen if you give a young kid without financial guidance access to his own endorsements. Money and fame already create problems for young people, why add fuel to the fire with these deals without oversight of the process?

“It’s unfortunate to say this, but some kids cost,” Deion Sanders said about NIL deals in a press conference. “It’s unfortunate to say this and I have not charted this yet, but I’m gonna ask for the numbers. If you start thinking about the top several teams in the country, let’s see what was spent on assembling the teams. We can sit and talk about great coaching and great this and great that all we want. But it’s a credit card swipe some kind of way with all these guys going into the playoffs, right? I understand that.”

Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders is one of the highest paid student athletes behind USC’s Bronny James. Even Texas’ Arch Manning, the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, has an NIL deal as a backup QB. Even with Manning’s refusal to participate in the EA’s 2025 College Football, stating how he wants to focus on just football, he still agreed to a deal with a trading company, So, how much of this is about the game of football, and how much is it about holding out for better deals? This is not to say Manning is looking to just make stockpiles of money, but it stands out. Sanders has a deal with KFC, Smoothie King, Urban Outfitters and others, as he continues to shine in the spotlight at Colorado.

This new generation of players are not afraid to get what they want. While it is refreshing to see players finally get paid for being the faces of their schools, there's still a question we have to ask. Is football still a game of inches? Or have we gone too far with creating a “semi-pro” establishment? It’s all a game of chance that can lead down a path of uncertainty.