Billy Napier reacts to Nick Saban-Jimbo Fisher feud, future SEC scheduling
By Keith Farner
Published:
Billy Napier was among those in the college football world to follow the feud last week between Alabama’s Nick Saban and Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher.
“People tuned into that,” Napier said. “That was worth the price of subscription.”
As for his own response to name, image and likeness decisions and so-called bidding wars, Napier said, “We don’t operate that way. NIL is an element of a player’s decision.”
About future SEC scheduling, and whether the league will have 8 or 9 conference games, Napier said he does not have the bandwidth to have a preference on a number, or rotating opponents in the SEC.
Last week, Napier offered more extensive comments on NIL at an event in Pensacola.
“So, NIL. First of all, the University of Florida should almost feel liberated. I’m serious. I’m not joking,” Napier said, via Gators Online. “Recruiting is very competitive. It’s cutthroat. A lot of things happen that maybe shouldn’t happen. But what I would tell you is that name, image and likeness is an avenue where you can impact recruiting in a positive way.
“You can do it state law approved, you can do it compliance approved. You can affect the recruiting dynamic. … What we need to realize is we’re living in an era where this is here. I don’t necessarily know that we’re in a time where this is going to change much for a while. But while we have this environment, we gotta take full advantage of it.”
H/T Edgar Thompson.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
