Nick Saban calls for ‘equilibrium’ in college football, points to NFL salary cap
Now nearly a year into the rev-share era, the cap in place under the House settlement is expected to grow this summer. But as schools are finding other ways to fund their rosters, Nick Saban called for “equilibrium” in college football. As Ross Dellenger previously noted, schools are finding ways to blow past the rev-share cap .
Following the transfer portal this offseason, On3’s Pete Nakos also reported the expectation is “ multiple ” rosters could cost upward of $40 million this year. SUBSCRIBE to the On3 NIL and Sports Business Newsletter As he evaluated the state of the game, Saban reflected on comments he made late in his tenure at Alabama about the role of collectives and the idea of “pay-for-play” in college football. While programs have been able to turn around in the new era, he also pointed to the salary cap in the NFL and other pro leagues while arguing for more balance with regard to spending.
“Well, the first time somebody had a collective – and I’m not going to mention any names because I got in trouble for that before – I just made the statement, they didn’t do anything wrong, but is this what we want college football to become? ” Saban said Wednesday on The Paul Finebaum Show . “And that’s exactly what happened.
“I like the fact that some programs have been able to improve because of the circumstance, but I also think there should be some equilibrium. One team shouldn’t have a $40 million roster and another team have a $5 million roster, and they’re out there playing each other. … Every league – NFL, basketball, hockey – they all have a salary cap or something that creates parity in the league so everybody has an equal opportunity to win.
” Once the House settlement received final approval, a $20. 5 million cap went into place as schools began to directly share dollars with athletes through revenue-sharing. That figure is set to grow to $21.