Well, Nick Saban once warned, “That creates a situation where you can basically buy players,” as he voiced his concerns over NIL’s impact on CFB dynamics. But now he might be the one changing the entire thing. How? Remember when everyone thought Saban’s aura would fade after his retirement? Then boom, he popped up on ESPN’s College GameDay. Now, he is stepping up in the spotlight again as he’s co-chairing a new college sports commission formed by President Donald Trump, alongside Cody Campbell. This new role tackles major issues like NIL, transfers, and Title IX. It seems Saban isn’t done shaping college football; he just switched sidelines.

Believe it or not, CFB’s ever-changing landscape needs a leader directing all of it in the right direction. And who’s better than Nick Saban, who has already witnessed a big chunk of change? And that’s exactly why former Bama QB Greg McElroy is pushing him to fix some big potholes on ESPN College Football. Now, McElroy’s addressing two big issues that are creating a big mess in the CFB, which are NIL and transfer portal chaos. And pointing them out, he said, “I’ve maintained for a while that the transfer portal being open in December and the transfer portal being open in May and April is challenging and problematic. One, it allows so much leverage for the players. It allows freedom of movement.”

It’s no new thing that the transfer portal and its easy way out are a big headache for the coaches. And the worst part is when you open the portal in December and then again in April, simply leaves a thin roster, leaving coaches empty-handed. Now, this year, the fear escalated to a point that teams like Nebraska, Ohio State, and Texas didn’t even have their spring game. So, what can fix this? “So I think that if we were to limit the amount of time that the portal was open, that would calm things down just a little bit. And what I’ve suggested in the past—and while it’s in some cases unpopular—I think having the portal open the month of May is the best thing for the sport,” McElroy said.

Now, opening the portal just for May might not just slow down the fear of tampering, but might also give some time to the players to make rational decisions. And McElroy explains it, giving his example of his playing days, and talks about how players tend to make a rash decision, saying, “I went to Alabama in 2006. I went to play for Mike Shula. Mike Shula was fired after the Iron Bowl in the 2006 season. Had the portal been open 10 or 11 days later after Mike Shula was fired, would I have potentially jumped in because there was so much uncertainty surrounding the future of the Alabama program? It’s possible.”

That’s quite a possibility. Seeing a role model leave the program can be frightening for players, and if the transfer portal had been available then, McElroy might have left due to fear or frustration. If he had done that, McElroy would not have stayed to play under Nick Saban and lost a chance to win the championship in 2009. That hasty decision would haunt him for the rest of his life. But he saved his chance and took time to evaluate things and see how they fit in under his new HC. So, that’s the reason McElroy wants Nick Saban to change the portal timings. “I think moving the portal from May 1st to May 31st would be an amazing move for college football, and I think this commission could potentially do that. That would be a high priority for me.”

And that’s a valid point, as we all saw teams like Alabama suffering big time because of the portal, losing more than 20 players to it after going 9-3 last season. Now, call it Nick Saban’s impact or lack of players’ trust in Kalen DeBoer‘s play calling, but the transfer portal did put them in trouble. However, McElroy didn’t just stop there, as he also mentioned the most controversial aspect of today’s CFB world, NIL.

Can Nick Saban change the NIL landscape?

We all know how NIL shifts the narrative in today’s college football, and the best example of that is Bryce Underwood‘s $10.5 million NIL deal that Michigan offered him to snatch him from LSU. But imagine a player getting a paycheck that most of the coaches don’t—that’s the biggest irony of the entire situation. And that’s exactly what Nick Saban should focus on. Even McElroy wants a similar contract that each school follows to limit such incidents.

“I look at these NIL deals, and one school’s contract language is different from another school’s, and another school’s, and another school’s. If we were to adopt—universally adopt—contract language that every school must adhere to, that would be remarkably beneficial,” McElroy said.

“And I’m not saying it has to be the same numbers or the same… for instance, if one school can pay a million dollars and the other school can pay $500,000, that’s fine. The amount is different from school to school and player to player. But if the language is universally the same, then we won’t have front-loaded contracts.” That might be a solution.

And interestingly, Kirby Smart had his own set of concerns on the same front. The way schools manage finances now, especially with NIL, could lead to cuts in other sports and programs. This would mean fewer athletic opportunities overall. “You know, like I don’t know if the kids win in this model that we currently have, if they win long term,” Smart said. “Like long term, when we have to cut sports and cut other things, are the kids going to be the winners of this? I don’t know. College sports have been around a long time and given many an opportunity. And by all means, I want these kids to make money. But what’s going on right now is not good for anybody.” 

So, now Greg McElroy’s similar contract idea makes proper sense. Then he also talks about how Nick Saban can try and find a way to support smaller programs. “I would find a way to subsidize, whatever that looks like, to subsidize the programs that need help. And that might qualify as a Group of Five program. That might qualify as an FCS program. That might qualify as D2 or D3,” McElroy said.

Now, all this might make sense only if Nick Saban and Cody Campbell act up on it. Let’s see if that’s happening anytime soon.