Kalen Deboer Responds To Nick Saban's Recent Comments About NIL

Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban spoke at a roundtable discussion at Capitol Hill on Tuesday and voiced his concerns regarding NIL.

Current Crimson Tide head coach Kalen Deboer joined “The Audible” podcast with The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel and Bruce Feldman and was asked about Saban's comments.

Here's what he had to say. Per On3:

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“I think the times have changed and you have to adjust, adapt,” DeBoer said. “I think I’ve been able to do a good job with that. I think our staff will have the type of personalities and type of want to to just continue to keep the main thing the main thing, and that’s coach these guys up. Understanding, also, that NIL is a part of it. The portal is a part of it. So, one day at a time. I think we’ve just gotta keep working, keep doing what we do, and kind of find the hearts and minds of these guys.”

And DeBoer, ultimately, is fighting for a similar party line to what Saban has argued for amid the widespread adoption of NIL: A uniform playing field of some kind and not a program or states own tolerances and laws being the rate limiter.

“I think that’s really good and that’s something I’m excited to see the ways and things that could happen over the next year or two with people like coach Saban helping lead the charge. I think the key is to have a sustainable model that allows the student athletes to get NIL or some version of that or whatever it may be. Definitely am in favor of that. I think there is an opportunity that they should be able to take advantage of,” DeBoer said. “But also a model that is, like I said, sustainable. Things that we can do within the athletic program, department to where it isn’t just — at Alabama we’ll continue to find ways to move forward, but there’s a lot of programs that don’t have the same backing, the same resources and just for the game itself, I’d love to see us continue to work together to try and figure out what’s best moving forward in years to come.”

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