Ex-Alabama coaching legend Nick Saban gets pushback on being college football commissioner

College football is getting out of hand in many different ways – from the everchanging CFP format to eligibility questions, to NIL, to whether or not there’s even a purpose of the NCAA any longer.

We know the SEC and Big Ten want to “exercise control” over the CFP to fit in more of their teams. We see the rest of FBS football is opposed to it but have no recourse to rectify it.

What’s the fix? USA Today’s Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams don’t believe it’s Nick Saban as college football’s commissioner. The idea has been oft-floated but never seriously looked at.

Toppmeyer and Adams don’t feel the need to explore it considering who it’d benefit.

“A great annual offseason debate hinges on whether college football would benefit from an overarching commissioner – and whether Nick Saban would be the prime choice for the job, if ever created,” Toppmeyer and Adams wrote.

“We agree that a college football commissioner could enact some meaningful, widely popular changes within the sport, but we’re not ready to cede this responsibility to Saban, who would foremost look out for coaches.”

Penn State head coach James Franklin pushed for Saban to be the commissioner in December during the build-up to his Nittany Lions’ Fiesta Bowl matchup with Boise State.

“I think one of the most important things we can do is, let’s get a commissioner of college football that is waking up every single morning and going to bed every single night making decisions that’s in the best interest of college football,” Franklin said, per ESPN. “I think Nick Saban would be the obvious choice if we made that decision. Now, Nick will probably call me tonight and say, ‘Don’t do this,’ but I think he’s the obvious choice, right?”

Lane Kiffin has also endorsed Saban to be college football’s commissioner.

It’s certainly telling that only coaches want Saban as commish. If the position is ever made, it’s a question mark on who’d gain the most support.

But Saban might not be as popular as a candidate for the job as many would’ve thought.