Calls mount for Nick Saban to accept major college football job amid CFP controversy

Selection Sunday saw undefeated Indiana earn the top seed, while Ohio State, Georgia and Texas Tech round out the top four and receive first-round byes.

The remainder of the 12-team bracket features Oregon, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Alabama, Miami, Tulane and James Madison, a field that includes two Group of Five champions (Tulane and JMU) and leaves marquee programs such as Notre Dame and BYU on the outside.

The committee’s explanation leaned on head-to-head results, strength of schedule and the 12-team mechanics that guarantee berths to the five highest-ranked conference champions.

Miami’s August victory over Notre Dame played a pivotal role in the decision process, and that head-to-head result helped Miami secure the final at-large slot over the Irish.

Conference titles for Tulane (American) and James Madison (Sun Belt) activated the auto-qualifier provisions that fill out the field.

Fans and analysts were quick to call for action, as nationally known brands with strong records were excluded while two Group of Five champions made the playoff, a discrepancy Nick Saban publicly criticized.

"I think the fact of the matter is, all three of those teams (Alabama, Miami, Notre Dame) should have gotten in and deserve the right to play in the College Football Playoff," Saban said. "I think that you're going to have two teams in the playoff, no disrespect to the Group of Five, that are nowhere near ranked as highly as some other teams that are much better than them."

"This has got to be devastating for Notre Dame's team, not to get an opportunity to play in the playoffs. We can learn something from this that will help us come up with a little better criteria of trying to make sure we get the best 12 teams in the playoff."

"I'm happy for the teams that got in, and I think the committee did a really good job. I just think there was one team left out that I just don't think should have been left out in some kind of way," Saban added.

Nick Saban reacts to the College Football Playoff field. 🏈🎙️ #CFP https://t.co/VaX9AI4n5m pic.twitter.com/QWVejRTnXC
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 7, 2025

Fans online immediately called for Saban to step in as the sport’s commissioner.

"This is why Nick Saban needs to be commissioner of college football," said one user.

"I would be fine with Nick Saban as the Commissioner," another fan commented.

"Nick Saban laying the groundwork for the Group of 5 teams in the playoffs. Expect changes next year," one other user posted.

"They should make Nick Saban “Commissioner” of College Football. Love him or hate him the dude knows football. Do something to get the NIL and transfer portal under control. Expand the playoffs to 16 teams, no automatic bids, just the top ranked 16," another fan replied.

"Need to have college football Commissioner Coach Nick Saban would be the perfect candidate," said one other user.

"They need to create a commissioner of the NCAA and it needs to be Nick Saban," another fan remarked.

ESPN personality Pat McAfee talks during College GameDay as Nick Saban. — ESPN personality Pat McAfee talks during College GameDay as Nick Saban looks on at Jones AT&T Stadium. | Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The committee’s judgment calls remain hard to predict, and critics say that the lack of transparency breeds the kind of frustration fans saw on Sunday.

The CFP has already tweaked the 12-team rules in 2025, but this iteration intensified calls for clearer, more objective measures.

Now an ESPN analyst, Saban’s opinions still carry weight, and his comments have reignited debate over whether college football needs a formal commissioner and if he should be that person.

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