The year 2021 was a watershed moment for college football as NIL finally came into existence, and it changed college football forever. But before 2021, colleges weren’t allowed to pay their athletes; it was strict, causing tighter punishments and even resulting in wider sanctions like the NCAA did with Ohio State in 2012 after the tattoo gate scandal. High school athletics were similarly governed, and schools were strictly barred from any form of compensation related to their sports participation. But did coaches flout these regulations despite the heavy scrutiny? Probably, and one former high school player of the now-Michigan associate head coach, Biff Poggi, has opened up about the whole thing.

Former Penn State offensive tackle Landon Tengwall, who played high school football for Our Lady of Good Counsel High School, Olney, Maryland, opened up about Biff Poggi “taking care” of the high school players during his tenure at St. Frances. “Biff recruited me to St. Frances after my freshman year of HS. Absolutely legendary dude. But Nick didn’t lie, Biff definitely ‘took care’ of his guys at St. Frances 😂,” wrote Landon Tengwall on X. Notably, though, all of this is a part of a hilarious banter between Nick Saban and Biff Poggi.

Nick Saban, now a part of ESPN’s College GameDay crew, has traveled to Lincoln, Nebraska, for the Michigan vs Nebraska game and had a hilarious back-and-forth with Biff Poggi. Poggi recounted a moment years back when Nick Saban promised him to facilitate a Ferrari from his dealership, but he hasn’t delivered on that promise yet. “He called me five or six years ago, five or six years ago, and he goes. Hey, guess what, I’ve been chosen for a Ferrari dealership. I said. Oh man, congratulations. Let me be the first guy to buy a car from you, and I’ll buy the coolest car,” said Biff Poggi and complained hilariously about Saban’s hollow promise on live TV.

” I will have a beard down to my knees before I see that a 12 est here,” announced Poggi. Nick Saban’s reply? The former Alabama head coach instead touted that when they finally sat down to have the transaction, Poggi got “an alligator arm” and “couldn’t reach” in his pocket. That was enough for Biff Poggi, as he countered back with his own signature humor. “You should ask that from the Rolls dealer, I just bought a car from,” said Poggi as the whole GameDay crew immediately burst into laughter. However, Nick Saban then couldn’t hold himself back and finally playfully accused of paying his players, when Biff was coaching at St. Frances.

“You were at St. Frances. I never saw you coach it down. You were the owner, you were Jerry Jones. You paid the players and all that you did, you did the payroll. Are you using the same philosophy at Michigan?” said Nick Saban to Poggi. People thought Nick Saban had the last laugh, but there was still plenty of sarcasm left in Biff Poggi’s tank as he quickly replied to the question with a sarcastic yes. “Yeah, and I learned all that from you. So you know that’s fantastic.” It was, of course, a light-hearted conversation without any real harm done.

Poggi’s contribution to St. Frances High has been a part of the Baltimore folklore. Earlier, a modest football team, Poggi became pivotal in its founding, and later coached them and made them a national powerhouse. For instance, the team went 13-0 in the 2017 season and was ranked 3rd nationally with a 5th ranking in 2018 again. Not just that, Poggi oversaw financial stabilisation, development of the athletes, and a landmark exit from the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association. But were paying players really prevalent at Poggi’s time with St. Frances High School?

Biff Poggi’s contributions to St. Frances helped in its revival and later dominance

Biff Poggi, during his head coaching tenure at St. Frances Academy, Baltimore, from 2017-2020, personally was involved in compensating players for several expenses. These expenses included room, board, and any other miscellaneous expenses. The payments, however, weren’t in contravention of any rules since the funding came from Poggi’s multimillion-dollar hedge fund that helped transform the school for good. Poggi, a former hedge fund manager with reportedly deep pockets, also became the first donor for the school’s football program, contributing $60,000 when he was coaching at Gilman School. The funds and the role that Poggi played have transformed the school massively.

“The story of St. Frances isn’t just about football—it’s about a man with deep pockets trying to do good, but stirring up a lot of questions about fairness and competition in the process,” wrote Glenn Clark, a Baltimore journalist, on Poggi’s role for the school. “I decided I wanted to put my time, my money, my resources into these kids. I want to help kids who have nothing, who come from tough situations, and give them a chance to succeed,” said Poggi on his contributions to St. Frances. The contributions, then, did their magic.

Poggi’s total investment for the school reportedly exceeded $2.5 million, which covered everything from travel costs to teacher salaries and running the program. The former hedge fund manager then also became critical in averting the school’s closure during an economic crisis, earning widespread praise. Poggi and the school’s journey are highlighted in HBO’s documentary about his tenure titled “The Cost of Winning,” which has earned critical acclaim, taking Biff Poggi’s story to the world.