Nick Saban Calls for CFB Commissioner in Video, Discusses 'Anarchy' of Current System

Former Alabama coach Nick Saban wants college football to restructure under a national commissioner before bringing back the expanded playoff for a third year in 2026.

"I think we need to have a commissioner who's kind of over all the conferences, as well as a competition committee who sort of defines the rules of how we're going to play the game," Saban said Saturday on ESPN's College GameDay. "Because that's what we don't have right now.

"We used to have contracts, for coaches and for players, that define what's your academic responsibilities, when can you transfer, what's your obligation to the school. We don't have that now. And if you really don't support that, you're kind of supporting a little bit of anarchy, which is what we have right now, whether it's coaches or players."

Saban continued, "I do think that the College Football Playoff has kind of camouflaged some of these issues... but the underlying issues, in terms of level of comp for everybody, is probably something that needs to be addressed quickly."

Saban's comments come the day before the 2025 CFP bracket is set during Sunday's Decision Day.

This isn't the first time Saban has called for changes in how college football is managed in the revenue-sharing era.

Saban said on a November episode of College GameDay the NCAA should prevent LSU from hiring away former Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin just before his team's playoff run.

The upcoming CFP will feature 12 teams for the second year in a row, although the format has shifted from giving first-round byes to the four highest-ranked conference champions in 2024 to the four highest-ranked teams overall in 2025.

The five highest-ranked conference champions are still getting automatic bids to the 12-team playoff in 2025.

It is not clear what the playoff will look like in 2026. The CFP and ESPN announced in November that the deadline to decide on a future CFP format had been pushed back from Dec. 1 to Jan. 23.

The SEC and Big Ten have the most combined control over the CFP going forward.

Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger reported back in October that 10 people on the 11-member CFP governing committee were in favor of a 5+11 format which would expand the field to 16 teams by seeding five conference champions and 11 at-large teams.

The Big Ten has been the lone outlier on that vote, according to Dellenger.

If the conferences can't reach agreement on changes by the deadline, Dellenger reported the CFP would likely once again feature five conference champions and seven at-large teams in 2026.

However, Dellenger noted "remaining status quo appeases few of those around the sport who are itching for expansion at a time when talent is more evenly distributed than ever."

That's not the only change college football needs to make decisions on in the near future.

Dellenger also recently reported for On3 that college sports leadership is discussing revenue sharing changes that would allow schools to spend an additional $3.3 million on athletes with a potential luxury tax on the additional money.

There is also the new transfer portal, which despite some criticism from coaches of title contenders will open for a single window this offseason from Jan. 2 to Jan. 16.

The CFP committee's decision about the playoff, as well as changes to revenue sharing or the portal, will ultimately shape the future of college football in 2026 and beyond.