Saban refuses to use NIL to attract players

quote:

---

When we start using name, image and likeness for a kid to come to our school, that's where I draw the line," he said. "Because that's not why we did this." Saban said it has become such that players are weighing prospective NIL earnings among schools and "we all gotta make a deal." "I hear these crazy people on TV who say now you're doing it above board," he said. "We never did it. We never did it. We never cheated to get a player. We never paid players to come to our school. "And now that's actually happening. People are making deals with high school players to go to their school." Saban said it's simple: The schools with the most money -- whether through alumni backing or other means -- "have the best chance to have the best team." "It's not about coaching and developing as much as it is, what kind of money can you make?" he said. Saban also took issue with the way the transfer portal discourages players from dealing with adversity, as he put it. "It's great that players have the freedom to do what they can do, but I also don't think we should create circumstances where they don't have the make the commitment and see things through," he said.

---