After years of standing against it, Nick Saban changes his stance on expanding College Football Playoff

Nick Saban was famously against expanding the College Football Playoff to 12 teams. At the time, he was worried that the expansion would water down the relevance of other bowl games and that the legacy of these encounters would get lost.

Now, the former Alabama coach is singing a different tune. He is now signaling his approval for further expansion of the CFP, although being consistent with his prior thinking, as he explained on Monday:

"You know, back in the years, I was never for expanding the playoffs because I thought bowl games were really important to the history and tradition of college football,l but now that we have expanded the playoff and now the bowl games have taken a less significant role. So I think expanding playoffs and having as many teams involved as we can, without playing too many games for the players, I think that's a little bit of a concern, is probably a good thing."

His change of opinion might become important down the road. While Saban is currently an analyst for ESPN's College Game Day, his name has been floated as a potential first college football commissioner, if such a position ever exists.

Nick Saban on the future of NIL and college athletics

During the same press conference for his annual charity event, Nick's Kids Golf Tournament, coach Saban demonstrated he still holds passionate views with regards to the present of college athletics. Speaking about NIL and the business of college sports, Nick Saban said:

"I'm not anti-NIL," Saban said. "I'm all for the players making money. I don't think we have a sustainable system right now. I think a lot of people would agree with that, in terms of the future of college athletics, period. Not just the future of college football. How can we sustain the 20 other non-revenue sports that create lots of opportunities for people in the future?"

He also elaborated on the need for a commission to reform college sports, a proposal put forward by President Donald Trump recently. The President also proposed Saban as a potential co-chair for the body. While praising the President's interest in college sports, Saban doesn't seem to believe such a body is necessary:

"I know there's been a lot of stuff out there about some commission or whatever. I don't think we need a commission. I've said that before. I think we need -- we know what the issues are, we just have to have people who are willing to move those and solve those and create some solutions for some of those issues. I'm all for being a consultant to anybody who would think that my experience would be beneficial to helping create some of those solutions."

"I know President Trump is very interested in athletics. He's very interested in college athletics. He's very interested in maintaining the idea that people go to college to create value for the future in terms of how they develop as people, students, graduation rate as well as having a balanced, competitive playing field. If I can be a consultant to anyone who might be able to help the future of college athletics, I would be more than happy to do that."

The future will tell us what Nick Saban's next career step is, but it doesn't seem that college sports is done with him. In any case, it's difficult to say no when the President comes calling.