Nick Saban earned over $11 million in his final year coaching at Alabama. Over his career, he pocketed more than $100 million, built empires of influence, and became the face of a college football machine that profited immensely off the unpaid labor of student-athletes. During that time, how often did he advocate for players to share in the wealth they helped generate? How often did he criticize a system that capped scholarships while coaches and administrators signed multimillion-dollar contracts?

Now that players are finally seeing a sliver of justice—through NIL rights, backpay in the House case, and newfound transfer freedom—Coach Saban suddenly wants a national regulatory framework?

That's not reform. That's regression.

Attorney Steve Berman, one of the lead lawyers in the House case, said it best:

“This is a coach who made more money off college football than any other coach, did absolutely nothing to make it right for these student-athletes. Why should he drive the president's thinking?”

We agree. The fight for NIL rights wasn't driven by coaches or NCAA executives—it was driven by athletes, lawyers, advocates, and courts demanding fairness in an industry that has long treated labor as disposable and replaceable.

Now, as Judge Claudia Wilken pressures the NCAA to fix a broken proposal that could cost thousands of athletes their roster spots, it's critical to stay focused on the real issue: equity. Not nostalgia. Not control. And certainly not the opinions of those who benefited from decades of athlete exploitation.

At Saluja Law, we stand with student-athletes. We support a future where athletes are treated as partners, not pawns. And we will continue to push back against efforts—whether from Congress, courts, or coaches—to turn back the clock on progress.

Have NIL or roster questions? Facing legal hurdles as an athlete?
📞 Reach out to Saluja Law—we're here to help level the playing field.