Nick Saban: SEC In Danger of Becoming a Farm System

Alabama football coach Nick Saban is not afraid of controversy especially when it comes to addressing issues concerning his sport.

More from SEC Football

Last year, Saban addressed the speed of the game and how it effects the defense, which didn’t go over well with offensive minded coaches around the country.

This year, Saban is addressing the issue of satellite camps being held in SEC country by schools like Michigan. Saban is not thrilled at all by the idea and thinks changes need to be made.

“We have a lot of crazy rules,” Saban said. “Head coaches aren’t allowed to go out during an evaluation period in the spring, but you can go have a satellite camp anywhere in the country and bring your staff in and bring players to it? Does that make any sense to anybody?

“I think we should have recruiting periods and evaluation periods, and the only time you should be able to have a camp is on your campus.”

Michigan was able to hold a satellite camp in Prattville, Alabama and ended getting a three-star running back out of the deal.

Saban says if all the Power 5 schools don’t follow the same rules, chaos may ensue.

“We need to have the same rules in the big five in all leagues,” Saban said.

“If we’re going to compete for the championship and everybody is going to play in the playoff system, then we need to get our rules in alignment so that we are all on a level playing field.

“These things need to be global; otherwise we are going to become a farm system for all of the other leagues.”

What Saban is basically saying is the same rules that are applied in the SEC, needs to be applied around the country. How is it fair that Big Ten schools can come down here and continue to basically recruit during the dead period in other conferences territories and other schools can’t.

Saban is right, either make the rules where everybody can do it or no one can. How do you think Jim Harbaugh would feel if Alabama set up a satellite camp in Detroit? He’d be upset too.

I think this is one of the few issues that SEC coaches around the league will be on the same page with Saban.

More from Southbound and Down

Home/SEC Football