Nick Saban and Alabama recently formed a collective for name, image and likeness, a sort of one-stop-shop for all things endorsement for college athletes.

But the coach said Tuesday that last year, even before the more formal action, Alabama players raked in the money.

Saban reiterated that the players being able to make money off of their NIL is a good thing.

“I think that was the original intent,” Saban said. “Now people have started these collectives that raise money to create opportunities for players, I think that’s an unintended consequence. We didn’t do that last year and our guys made more money than anybody in college football, on their own, representing themselves. Creating a good image, being good players, creating value for themselves.”

Saban said Alabama will continue down that path, but now give all players the same opportunity. He said that format is similar to what Alabama does for medical, nutrition and academic attention across the organization.

“I don’t think it’s a sustainable model for me to start picking and choosing who gets what opportunities,” Saban said.