Former Alabama football coach Nick Saban may be retired, but he’s never shy about speaking his mind on the sport he once ruled not all that long ago.
Saban’s presence in the game continues to be felt after his retirement. His weekly segments on ESPN’s College GameDay offer a refreshingly candid and often colorful perspective that sets him apart from others analysts. Earlier this year, Saban won a Sports Emmy Award for his GameDay commentary.
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On Friday’s edition of “The Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN, Saban and McAfee were discussing college football scheduling as it pertains to Power Four schools playing Group of Five opponents. That led to Saban mentioning a nonconference opponent Alabama has become familiar with.
It started when McAfee asked for Saban’s thoughts ahead of Saturday’s “Backyard Brawl” between West Virginia and Pitt, which pivoted to the Ohio Bobcats’ 17-10 upset win over the Mountaineers last Saturday.
Saban said that it was a challenge for some Power Four coaches to get their teams prepared for certain games against Group of Five opponents. He then mentioned Alabama’s recent series with South Florida, which began in 2023 as part of a 2-for-1 scheduling agreement.
“I would never do a 2-for-1,” Saban said of the nonconference scheduling pact. “We did it with South Florida, and I was miserable about it to go there and play. I mean, your team doesn’t want to go there and play.”
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Saban paused for a moment.
“But, the athletic director never gets criticized for it,” he said.
Alabama struggled against USF at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa in 2023, eventually pulling out an ugly 17-7 win. The Crimson Tide was in a similar dogfight in last year’s matchup against the Bulls at Bryant-Denny Stadium before scoring 28 points in the final 10 minutes for a 42-16 win.
Alabama is scheduled for play South Florida again in 2026 (in Tuscalosa).
Did Nick Saban take jab at Greg Byrne over Alabama football scheduling?
Saban didn’t mention Byrne by name with his comment about athletic directors never being criticized for scheduling, but his comment stands out to me.
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Perhaps the biggest reason being the implication that Saban — a man who amassed enormous success on and off the field, and who did more for The University of Alabama and its enrollment than any athletic director could ever hope — apparently didn’t get a voice in the decision when it came to scheduling a series against a Group of Five school.
Was Saban not given the authority to just veto the series with USF if he didn’t want to take his team to Tampa? Head coaches, particularly those of Saban’s caliber and at other college football powerhouses, typically have enormous sway in who their teams face in nonconference play, especially at the Group of Five level.
South Florida has become an early season sensation after opening the year with a blowout win over Boise State and an 18-16 upset win over the Florida Gators last Saturday in Gainesville. USF soared into the top 25 this week and landed at No. 18 in the AP Top 25 poll. They’re even ranked higher than Alabama (No. 19).
Alabama and coach Kalen DeBoer will face the Wisconsin Badgers at 11 a.m. CT Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The game will be televised on ABC.
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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Nick Saban makes strange remark about Alabama football series
