College Football Money Talk and Alabama's Standing in the SEC on Fernandez & Friends

We discuss Alabama's athletic budget, compare the Crimson Tide to other programs, and forecast future developments on today's episode of Fernandez & Friends. I Episode 14

Sep 6, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide athletic director Greg Byrne watches from the sidelines during the first quarter against the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Leong-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With no Alabama football game this Saturday, today's episode of Fernandez & Friends was all about money. Theo Fernandez and Laura Vale spent the first half of the show discussing the Crimson Tide's athletic budget and how Alabama's roster spending compares to the rest of the SEC.

This chart was brought up, illustrating spending, revenue, and profits for football and men's basketball.

Alabama athletics budget | Laura Vale

We then looked into player salaries under NIL, and evaluated how much a school could one day pay a top quarterback. Could we eventually get to a point where the highest-paid players are making more than elite coaches? How would that affect the college football landscape?

The show concludes with a conversation about Alabama's uniforms. As programs like Oregon have gained a reputation as being "flashy" and attractive to recruits because of their jerseys, Alabama has not introduced any kind of alternate.

Could that change? Should it? We evaluate some of the pros and cons of Alabama adding a new jersey, ultimately deciding that if it were to be created, it should only be worn for nonconference games.

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Fernandez & Friends is Alabama Crimson Tide on SI's bi-weekly program. The show is hosted by beat writer Theo Fernandez, who has spent the past two years as the cohost of the Joe Gaither Show, the site's other podcast.

The show will offer fresh, fast-paced content every Tuesday and Thursday morning, as Fernandez reacts to news, analyzes and previews games, and talks about everything relevant in the Alabama sports landscape. There will also be an emphasis placed on interviewing Crimson Tide recruits across sports, giving the fanbase an early look at some of the players they will be watching in Tuscaloosa over the coming years.

Call (205) 462-7340 Extension 800 to leave your thoughts in a voicemail, and you'll be featured on the show. This is the same number used for the Joe Gaither Show, so be sure to specify which program you are calling in for. You can also join us live in the comment sections on all of BamaCentral's social media platforms on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:15 a.m. CT.

The show can be seen on the BamaCentral YouTube channel. Keep up with each show on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Shows can also be heard on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon. 

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