SEC Media Days: Nick Saban unsure how NIL will impact Alabama, college athletics

(Alabama Athletics)

Alabama coach Nick Saban isn't quite sure what to think of name, image, and likeness in college athletics.

At least not yet. 

Following his recent remarks on quarterback Bryce Young potentially notching "seven figures" in NIL earnings, Saban added more insight at SEC Media Days on Wednesday.

"Because there's no precedent for it, you don't really know how it's going to affect things," Saban said. 

He noted that players being able to work and earn money is not new. But this is a different landscape, and Saban knows it.

One of the big reasons centers around who gets what and the ramifications of the gap between different players on the same team.

"It's not going to be equal," Saban said. "And everything that we've done in college athletics in the past has always been equal. Everybody's had equal scholarship, equal opportunity. Now that's probably not going to be the case.

"Some positions, some players will have more opportunities than others. And how that's going to impact your team, our team, the players on the team, I really can't answer because we don't have any precedent for it."

Saban's focus will be the same as other SEC coaches. It starts with educating the players on the process and the opportunities that may be available to them.

However, things will likely be a little different for Saban. 

That's because he's the head coach at Alabama, the program he's led to six national championships since 2009.

Saban's players won't lack opportunities. Just ask Young.

"I know that we're doing the best we can to try to get our players to understand the circumstance they're in, the opportunity they have, and how those opportunities are not going to be equal for everybody," Saban said. "It will be an opportunity for our team's success that people are not looking over their shoulder at what somebody else does or doesn't do."

While most don't, NIL does indeed want Bama. 

How Saban and his staff navigate this unique challenge could play a key role in the Tide capturing national titles in the new era of college sports.

Then again, they'll probably just keep on winning.

Still, even Saban admits there's no way to predict how it'll play out for his team or anyone else.

"Any other comments I would make about this," he said. "With no precedent, no experience, would probably a year from now not be looked on viewed as very smart."