MOBILE — On the eve of the second national signing day for the 2022 class, Alabama football coach Nick Saban made one thing clear – using name, image and likeness deals to add recruits is going too far.
He was speaking at the Senior Bowl Summit on stage with ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit and Auburn coach Bryan Harsin when the topic of NIL was brought up.
“I think name, image and likeness is an opportunity for players to work and make money, which they have always been able to do,” Saban said. “So it’s not a bad thing that they can use their name, image and likeness to do that. I think when we start using name, image and likeness to get a player to come to our school, then that’s where I kind of draw the line.”
Saban said players should choose a school because it’s the best place to develop their careers on and off the field.
“It shouldn’t be because this school is going to give me this much and that school is going to give me that much,” Saban said.
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Saban said the more this happens, where deals are made with high school players to go to a certain school, the less it will be about coaching and developing. How much money can be gained will be the focus.
“I hear these crazy people out there on the TV saying, ‘Well now, you’re just doing it and it’s above board.’ We never did it,” Saban said. “We never did it. We never cheated to get a player. We never paid players to come to our school.”
Contact Alabama reporter Nick Kelly: [email protected] Follow him on Twitter: @_NickKelly
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