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Nick Saban believes the Big Ten has one big advantage over the SEC

Saban said the Big Ten holds "a bit of an edge" over the SEC thanks to NIL.
Patrick Previty|
Nick Saban
Nick Saban | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Former Alabama coach Nick Saban said Friday the Big Ten currently holds "a bit of an edge" over the SEC thanks to NIL financial support and shifting recruiting dynamics, remarks he made during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. Saban framed the Big Ten–SEC race as a genuine rivalry and pointed to how money has changed where elite prospects are willing to go.

Saban argued that the SEC’s long-standing geographic and cultural advantages have narrowed in the NIL era. "There wasn’t professional football in the South for a long time… Kids grew up wanting to go to LSU, Alabama and Georgia. [But] now… they don’t mind going to Ohio State," he said, adding that NIL and “the money involved in decision-making” have altered the landscape.

Recent results show the Big Ten’s momentum. Michigan won the 2023 season’s national title in January 2024, and Ohio State captured the 2024 season crown in January 2025, giving the conference back-to-back championships.

Financially, the Big Ten’s record media-rights arrangement with Fox, CBS and NBC — worth more than $7 billion over seven years — has fortified conference coffers and, by extension, donor confidence and NIL ecosystems that support roster building. The Big Ten is also distributing roughly $61–63 million per school, outpacing the SEC’s per-school distributions by about $10 million in the most recent cycle.

Those league revenues now intersect with college sports’ new compensation model. Beginning with the 2025–26 year, schools can share up to about $20.5 million annually with athletes under the House v. NCAA settlement framework (separate from third-party NIL deals) further formalizing resources flowing to football rosters. The cap is expected to adjust over time, while collectives continue operating alongside school-funded revenue sharing.

Saban has been vocal about the need for clearer, more uniform rules to preserve competitive balance in the NIL era, but he also acknowledged that the game is settled on the field, even as fundraising muscle continues to play a bigger factor. With the Big Ten riding consecutive national titles and enjoying huge media distributions, his assessment that NIL support gives the league a slight edge does make sense. But there will almost certainly be changes to the hierarchy in the future.

Nick Saban
Nick Saban | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Patrick Previty
PATRICK PREVITY

In addition to writing for On SI, Patrick is also a site expert for Canes Warning and has previously written for outlets such as Betsided, Orlando Magic Daily and Southbound and Down. He serves as a sideline reporter for ESPN+, covering UCF athletics and the Big 12 Conference. In 2024, he hosted a live, on-site UCF football pregame show that aired on ESPN+. Patrick has interviewed numerous figures in the college sports world, ranging from players to UCF’s athletic director. Recently, he traveled to Mobile, Ala., to cover the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl, where he spoke with multiple NFL Draft prospects. Patrick also hosts coverage of the Orlando Magic for Digest Media on YouTube and has become one of the leading voices on the team in the region. Patrick also helps run the social media department for The Voice of College Football Network, focusing on breaking news and digital storytelling. Patrick previously spent time at CNN in the sports department, where he assisted with CNN’s World Sport show and Bleacher Report updates for morning programming. Hailing from the Tampa Bay Area, Patrick is a lifelong fan of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay Lightning, Orlando Magic and UCF Knights.

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