Alabama head coach finds that program can't be top dog in NIL world

The Alabama Crimson Tide had a stranglehold on college football for nearly 20 years. The biggest reason behind the program's success may have been former head coach Nick Saban.

This past year was the team's first season without their legendary coach, and it was obvious that there was a drop off in success.

Now, that doesn't mean that first-year head coach Kalen DeBoer is the wrong hire; nobody was filling the shoes of Saban in just one season.

However, the fear that came from knowing your team had to play Alabama seemed to fade without Saban on the sideline.

Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

But if you ask DeBoer, the absence of Saban may not be the issue at all. NIL has changed the landscape of college sports, and teams that once dominated before pay to play existed, now find themselves in the middle of the pack.

The Crimson Tide head coach recently discussed the financial side of the game. The NCAA has passed a rule that schools will now be allowed to share their revenue with players, which DeBoer believes will put Alabama on an even playing field once again.

NEW: Kalen DeBoer believes revenue sharing can put Alabama back on a 'balanced playing field,' he tells @PeteNakos_⬇️

"Having a more balanced playing field helps our situation. It allows us to get where it was at one point just a few years back. Where recruiting is real… pic.twitter.com/z4vzWxFszk
— On3 (@On3sports) February 27, 2025

"Having a more balanced playing field helps our situation. It allows us to get where it was at one point just a few years back. Where recruiting is real recruiting, not just someone who's gonna put in the highest bid," stated DeBoer.

It's very interesting that the most successful football program of the last two decades can't compete in the NIL world. It almost makes you wonder what they were doing before paying players became a thing.

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