Video: Nick Saban Rips State of NIL, Says 'Each Year It's Gotten a Little Worse'

Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban called out the progression of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) rules on Thursday.

"Each year, it's gotten a little worse," Saban said on the Pat McAfee Show (7:54 mark) "The first year we had name, image and likeness four, five years ago, we had a three million dollar [roster], and everybody was happy. Then the next year it was seven, then the next year it's 10. Then this year it's 13. Now they're looking at 20. I mean, where does it end?"

"The people who are supporting this, they really get no benefit for it, and I'm sure that there's going to be some instances in the future where those people don't want to continue to support players that aren't there," he added.

Saban previously told reporters in May 2022 that 25 Crimson Tide players earned a cumulative NIL revenue of $3 million during the prior season.

Ohio State's 2024 football roster combined to reportedly receive roughly $20 million in NIL money from collectives and brand affiliates throughout the year.

Transfer portal activity has also increased alongside the rise of NIL deals, as the NCAA will cap football rosters at 105 players moving forward.

Saban's former team has already lost 14 scholarship players to the portal so far, via ESPN's Mark Schlabach.

After the Crimson Tide weren't able to secure a spot in the College Football Playoff, Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne called on fans to support "Yea Alabama," the athletic department's NIL entity.

With NIL competition becoming more chaotic as schools attempt to compete for spots in the expanded CFP, Saban is wary about the future of the rules.