Nick Saban Drops Blunt Truth on NIL as ’33 Coaches Got Fired’
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
Nick Saban has delivered a blunt reality check on the chaotic state of modern college football. As a historic coaching carousel shakes up teams across the country, the legendary former coach points to a single factor driving the madness.
He claimed that athletic departments are spending millions on player rosters, but when those investments do not translate to wins, head coaches pay the price.
Nick Saban blames NIL fundraising and boosters for head coach firings
CBS Sports counted 32 total FBS head coaching changes during the 2025 cycle. According to On3, 13 Power Four coaches were fired outright, with most let go without cause. Virginia Tech’s Brent Pry and UCLA’s DeShaun Foster were the first to lose their job. Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy and Arkansas’ Sam Pittman were out just two weeks later.
The chopping block included some of the biggest names in the sport. Penn State fired James Franklin after a home loss to Northwestern dropped the preseason No. 2 Nittany Lions to a 0-3 start in Big Ten play. LSU followed suit by firing Brian Kelly. The financial hits were historic, as Franklin’s buyout cost around $49 million while Kelly’s sat at $54 million.
Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft made it clear the firing “was not a three-game thing.” LSU athletic director Scott Woodward stated the school expected Kelly to bring home multiple SEC and national titles.
Now, legendary coach Saban has weighed in with his own blunt explanation for the chaos on a recent episode of This Past Weekend with Theo Von.
During the podcast, comedian Theo Von asked the legendary CFB coach how recruiting has changed in the modern era of NIL and revenue sharing. Saban did not hold back. He explained that if a school throws millions at the wrong players, it ends up with a massive payroll and a terrible roster.
He tied that bad spending directly to the hot seat, saying, “The cause and effect of paying players is we’re raising money from alumni who now think they should have a say in what happens, and that’s why 33 coaches got fired last year.”
NEW: Nick Saban on NIL and boosters causing more head coach firings in College Football:
“The cause and effect of paying players is we’re raising money from alumni who now think they should have a say in what happens, and that’s why 33 coaches got fired last year.”
(via @TheoVon)
https://t.co/E6BBvbreYI
— On3 (@On3) October 6, 2026
This is not the first time Saban has sounded the alarm on this issue. Back in Oct. 2025, he defended James Franklin, calling his firing by Penn State “unfair as hell.” He told ESPN’s Mark Schlabach at the time that he was not surprised by the quick hooks because schools are constantly raising money to pay players.
He strongly backs the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act. The bill would set federal limits on athlete pay and transfers. This push comes after the historic House settlement allowed schools to share revenue directly with players starting in June 2025.
More college football news
- Deion Sanders Takes $0 Role In Saban’s $10 Million College Sports Initiative
- ‘Nobody Does It Better’ – Nick Saban Labels 29-TD QB With ‘Playmaker Of All Playmakers’ Tag
- ‘Playing Dumb Or Is Dumb’: NFL Fans Rip Kirk Herbstreit For ‘Throwing Nick Saban Under The Bus’
- White House Stirs Controversy With Nick Saban Clip Supporting Trump’s College Sports Decision
The post Nick Saban Drops Blunt Truth on NIL as ’33 Coaches Got Fired’ appeared first on Gridiron Heroics.
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos