Former Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban has fully migrated into his role as a College GameDay analyst. With him having retired from coaching, Saban has been a lot more open about the debate between the Big Ten and SEC.
In a surprising turn, Saban gave a brutal assessment of the SEC regarding the appeal for prospective college athletes to pursue careers in the Big Ten.
"I think that the SEC was the SEC because of the culture in the South. There wasn’t professional football in the South for a long time, and everybody related to the colleges. Well, now that doesn’t matter,” Saban said on "The Pat McAfee Show."
For years, Saban has stayed relatively quiet about the Big Ten's place in college athletics, but now, he admits there is no sugarcoating it.
"We always talk about that. I never think about it, I just look at the teams, but there is a rivalry between the Big Ten and the SEC," Saban said. “It can’t be denied.”
Saban gave an example as to why the Big Ten has sustained as much power as it has: NIL. Even though name brands like the LSU Tigers and Crimson Tide exist, other factors make Ohio State, for example, intriguing. It isn't just wins and losses, although to Saban, culture is a key part of it.
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“So, that geographic advantage that the Southeast Conference may be changing a little bit now, with the different culture, with NIL and the money involved in decision-making," Saban said. "I think that’s created a bit of an edge for the Big Ten.”
Whether Saban's remarks continue to hold true remains to be seen, but what is clear is that the competition level couldn't be any higher.