Nick Saban’s illustrious career as a college football coach is nothing short of legendary. Over his 28-year tenure as a head coach, he amassed an impressive record of 297-71-1, placing him fifth in all-time victories. Saban is most renowned for his time leading the Alabama Crimson Tide from 2007 to 2023, during which he secured six national championships. Additionally, he claimed a national title with the LSU Tigers in 2003. Since his retirement announcement following the 2023 season, there has been much speculation about how to keep Saban involved in the sport. One notable suggestion came from Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin, who proposed that Saban should become the commissioner of college football.
Franklin argued that college football is currently lacking strong leadership, especially in the era of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) agreements and the transfer portal. He believes the situation has become chaotic and that a figure like Saban is needed to restore order and provide direction.
During an appearance on “The Paul Finebaum Show,” SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum was asked about the possibility of Saban taking on the commissioner role. Finebaum dismissed the idea, stating, “The reason why Nick Saban will not be the commissioner of college football is there’s no room for Nick Saban under the current structure. You have the four Power Four commissioners who essentially run college football. There’s not one of them who’s going to say, ‘You know what, let’s turn over our power to someone we can’t control.'”
Despite Franklin’s belief that Saban is the “obvious choice” for the commissioner position, it seems that Saban himself has rejected the notion. Following Penn State’s quarterfinal victory, Saban suggested that Franklin should take on the role of commissioner instead. As things stand, college football will likely continue without a commissioner, and Finebaum does not anticipate any changes to this situation in the near future.
