the BigAmateurism monologues

Alabama coach Nick Saban and Georgia coach Kirby Smart used a joint presser before tonight’s CFP championship to lobby for federal NIL regulation. Rather than dismiss such policy talk as a distraction from the game, Saban and Smart made it clear that they were on the same page regarding the federalization of the NIL marketplace. Their primary justification was to prevent the “haves” in college football from running roughshod over the “have nots.” ESPN treated this comical justification for a re-engagement with Congress as legitimate. This episode analyzes the coaches’ comments and what they may portend for the Power 5’s congressional strategy in 2022.