Nick Saban further calls for stricter salary cap rules in college football.
The 2025-26 academic year marked the second of the revenue-share era in college sports. Schools have a cap of $21.3 million this year, up from $20.5 million a year ago, as they directly share money with athletes.
Currently, there isn’t a cap on third-party NIL earnings, though those deals are subject to the NIL Go clearinghouse. “Let’s just say you put a $45 million cap on all this.
Every school can decide whether they want to spend that or not,” Saban said on New Heights . “But nobody can spend more than that, so you can’t really buy a roster.
Saban said by putting more rules around roster spending, it could create even more parity in college football. “I think that makes better parity, better competition.
KEY POINTS
- $39.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage He cited different spending disparities in the sport while also saying programs can further emphasize development in the age of player movement and compensation.
- Nick Saban further called for stricter salary cap rules in college football and cited the Protect College Sports Act provisions.
- But if the Protect College Sports Act becomes law, there would be a stricter cap in place, and Nick Saban further voiced his support for those rules.
- Under terms of the Protect College Sports Act, the spending cap would increase to $49 million and include third-party NIL deals with penalties for violators.