Alabama HC Nick Saban sends a message on CFB unions: What the Crimson Tide leader said about the business of college football
Nick Saban has over the years exhibited fearlessness in addressing significant subjects within the realm of college football. Through his remarkable on-field success, the head coach of Alabama has rightfully emerged as a revered figure in the sport.
The landscape of college football is undergoing rapid transformation, with players gaining increasing opportunities. Recently, there has been discussion regarding the potential for players to form unions, reflecting the evolving dynamics of the sport.
In an interview with FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt, the Crimson Tide coach expressed his thoughts on the matter:
“I think that — it never scares me that people are organized. I think there’s some good in that. I think, you know General Motors and the automotive industries had unions for a long time and they survived fairly well.
“But there’s a lot of people who are a little skeptical and I can understand why: That you make college student-athletes employees. And I think when you organize them, that’s maybe what the ultimate result may be. So, and I can’t honestly say that I’m qualified to know exactly what the cause and effect of that would really be.”
Detractors argue that granting college athletes employee status and enabling them to unionize could have detrimental effects on college sports. These include the potential for strikes by dissatisfied players, or lockouts initiated by athletic departments.
Nick Saban sends clear message on college player unions ow.ly/gGRR104MZQt https://t.co/BKYct11dYE
Nick Saban had earlier discussed the issue at the Southeastern Conference spring meeting in May. He raised the idea of treating players as employees and unionizing college football to establish fairness and equality across the board.
“Unionize it. Make it like the NFL. I mean, if it’s going to be the same for everyone, I think that’s better than what we have now. Because what we have now is we have some states and some schools in some state that are investing a lot more money…”
Nick Saban has always been an advocate for player’s rights
Nick Saban has always been on the side of the players when it comes to right advocacy. Even as far back as when the idea of college players unionizing was still in its infancy, Saban has always supported the theory because it supports the athlete.
In 2014, the Alabama Crimson Tide coach said the following to reporters:
"I've always been an advocate of players' rights. I've always been an advocate of players being compensated the best that we can to help them. I think that having a voice in what happens is something that the players probably ought to have."
While Nick Saban is open to engaging with an organized group of players, he acknowledges that others may be hesitant or reluctant to do so. This is because the ultimate outcome of the path could potentially involve the recognition of athletes as employees.