Deion Sanders, head coach at Colorado, has proposed that players participating in the College Football Playoff should be paid, with additional compensation for those whose teams advance. Sanders explained his reasoning by saying, “If they do that, then ‘now it’s equality, now it’s even and every player is making the same amount of money.'”
Sanders discussed the topic with former Alabama coach Nick Saban during a media event for their new Aflac commercial. The advertisement references current issues in college football, with Sanders remarking in the spot: “This game has gotten out of control. All the money. All the unpredictability.” The context of the commercial was health insurance, which Sanders noted became especially important following his recent recovery from bladder cancer. “I’ve been walking with my coaches over a mile (…) Exercising, lifting,” said Sanders ahead of Colorado’s season opener against Georgia Tech.
Saban has returned to ESPN for a second year after coaching at Alabama and expressed support for more order in how players are compensated. He addressed suggestions that he become a commissioner for college sports but dismissed the possibility: “I don’t want to be in that briar patch of being a commissioner, but I do want to do everything I can to make it right.”
Both coaches agreed on the need for more structure around athlete agreements as schools have started paying up to $20.5 million each to athletes under recent settlements and third-party name-image-likeness deals. Saban commented on these arrangements: “For years and years and years as coaches, and when we were players, we learned this, we’re trying to create value for our future (…) That’s why we’re going to college. It’s not just to see how much money we can make while we’re in college. It’s, how does that impact your future as far as our ability to create value for ourselves?”
Sanders criticized NIL deals by stating, “there are only three or four guys who you might know their NIL, and the rest you’re just giving money to.”
Currently, conferences receive $4 million when their teams reach the 12-team playoff bracket with higher payments awarded with each round won. Saban supported Sanders’ proposal for an NFL-style bonus system similar to playoff compensation in professional football: “The NFC East has the Cowboys, Eagles and Giants, they have the biggest fan bases of anyone and they have to play their way in (…) Everyone should play their way in. One year, a conference might get five teams in, another it might get three. But there’s no (scenario) in any competitive venue where you get a guaranteed playoff spot.”
The conversation highlights ongoing discussions about fairness and compensation for student-athletes involved in high-revenue postseason events.
