Penn State Boss Calls for Coaching Legend to Be College Football Commissioner

The Penn State Nittany Lions are preparing for the Fiesta Bowl against the Boise State Broncos in the College Football Playoff.

Dec 21, 2024; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin reacts during the first half against the Southern Methodist Mustangs at Beaver Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Penn State Nittany Lions are preparing to face the Boise State Broncos in the Fiesta Bowl, which is one of the College Football Playoff quarterfinal games on New Year’s Eve.

But the transfer portal and Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) hang over the game, as it does most things in college sports these days. That doesn’t mention the era of player revenue-sharing this is coming in July, assuming the House vs. NCAA settlement is fully approved and it appears to be heading that way.

PSU head coach James Franklin was asked what he would do to find some equilibrium in the changing landscape and he suggested, as many other coaches have, that college football needs a commissioner. Like many coaches, he knows exactly who he would put in charge.

Penn State head coach James Franklin talks about NIL, the transfer portal, and why Nick Saban should be the commissioner of college football.

“If every decision we make is based on money, then we’re heading in the wrong direction.”

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— Colton Pool (@CPoolReporter) December 29, 2024

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"I think one of the most important things we can do is, let's get a commissioner of college football that is waking up every single morning and going to bed every single night making decisions that's in the best interest of college football," Franklin said. "I think Nick Saban would be the obvious choice if we made that decision. Now, Nick will probably call me tonight and say, 'Don't do this,' but I think he's the obvious choice, right?"

Saban retired from Alabama after last season and is working with ESPN as a commentator on College Gameday and does weekly appearances on the Pat McAfee Show. He’s quickly become ubiquitous in the media landscape and has quickly shown he’s a capable analyst and personality.

Saban’s credibility is universal in the coaching community. He finished his head-coaching career with a record of 292-71-1 with seven nationals championships (one at LSU and six at Alabama) along with 11 SEC championships. He’s a multiple national coach of the year winner and a sure-fire selection for the College Football Hall of Fame.

Just last week, Saban talked about NIL and growing athletic budgets with McAfee. He said that each year things have “gotten a little worse” when it comes to the money involved.

“The first year we had name, image and likeness, four or five years ago, we had $3 million, and everybody was happy,” he said. “Then the next year it was seven. Then the next year it’s 10. Then this year, it’s 13. Now they’re looking at 20. I mean, where does it end? And the people who are supporting this, they really get no benefit for it. And I’m sure that there’s going to be some instances in the future where those people don’t want to continue to support players that aren’t there.”

With revenue-sharing, athletic departments that opt-in will share at least $20 million in revenue with student-athletes and some sports will see scholarship increases. NIL will still be part of the landscape, too.

Would Saban be willing to take this type of retirement job? Only time will tell.