Nick Saban has long been considered an unofficial spokesperson for college football, and while he consistently wards off any talk of him taking on a formal role within the sport, he does always share his opinions on what could improve it.
With the recent NCAA ruling that altered the state of amateurism and allowed G-League athletes to play collegiately, many are calling into question the trajectory of athletics at that level.
Saban is one of them, and he believes the professional-based model is the only way to go considering the rules that are being changed and the money that is flying around.
“We’re letting G League players come play in college? Pretty soon, we’re going to have the New York Giants’ backup quarterback not getting enough development, so we’re going to send him to Penn State or somewhere else for a year to play,” Nick Saban said. “It’s crazy, absolutely crazy. Why not make these kids professionals, treat them like professionals and collective bargain the whole thing?”
The two most prominent examples of this occurring are Louisville’s Lane Johnson and Santa Clara’s Thierry Darlan, who both have been ruled eligible to play for their respective schools after competing at the G-League level. Johnson will suit up for the Cardinals beginning in 2026 following three years with G-League Ignite, while Darlan is playing as a junior for the Broncos this season.
Parker is currently the sports editor for the Enterprise-Journal in McComb, Mississippi. He's a graduate from Mizzou who has experience covering the Tiger football and basketball beats for SB Nation, and he's worked for a variety of sports news outlets in the past.
