Nick Saban, Lincoln Riley Unleash Strong Opinions On NIL

Saban: "[It] creates a situation where you can basically buy players."

NIL [name, image and likeness] has taken college football by a storm. 

Alabama head coach Nick Saban and USC head coach Lincoln Riley both shared their strong opinions on how NIL has impacted recruiting since it was implemented in 2021.

Alabama head coach Nick Sabam

“The concept of name, image and likeness was for players to be able to use their name, image and likeness to create opportunities for themselves. That’s what it was,” Saban said. “So last year on our team, our guys probably made as much or more than anybody in the country.”

“But that creates a situation where you can basically buy players,” Saban said. “You can do it in recruiting. I mean, if that’s what we want college football to be, I don’t know. And you can also get players to get in the transfer portal to see if they can get more someplace else than they can get at your place.”

USC head coach Lincoln Riley 

"It's completely changed it. It doesn't even resemble what we used to do before NIL," said USC's Lincoln Riley.

"In every sense of the word, it's different. You know, the reality is it's made what's gone on at certain places for a long time, it's going to put it out in the open, so maybe some positives there. I'm a fan of guys being able to capitalize on their NIL," Riley said.

"There was no doubt it was going to seep into recruiting at some point. I think that anybody that cares about college football is not real pleased with that because that wasn't the intention. We all get that. A lot of people voiced concerns when NIL came up that there had to be a plan for that. Instead, we instituted NIL without any plan for that, so that's why we're at where we're at. 

And I'm sure, at some point, there is going to be a market correction if you will, with recruiting. Hopefully, there will be because in a perfect world they stay separate. High school kids, his family, their state, if they an NIL opportunity, that's great. 

College kids if they an NIL opportunity, fantastic. I want them to do super well. It shouldn't cross over. But unfortunately with the way the rules are set up, it has crossed over. It's over a lot right now and it's totally changed recruiting." 

On June 30, 2021 the Division 1 Board of Directors approved the interim name, image and likeness (NIL) policy. This ruling allowed all NCAA D1, D2 and D3 student-athletes to be compensated for their own name, image and likeness as of July 1, 2021.

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