Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban left college football during a time the sport was rapidly changing. He’s made his feelings pretty clear about NIL over the years and is not afraid to throw a little shade about it.

The time of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) has leveled the playing field like never before, and the Big 10 might just be on the cusp of its third straight national title as a conference.

Interestingly, Saban and many others have pointed to NIL and the transfer portal as reasons why that may be the case.

Saban doubled down in a hilarious quip on “The Pat McAfee Show.” On the day of the national title game between Indiana and Miami, he revealed the real reason why Big 10 schools are getting such great talent.

“To me, in this day and age of the culture we have in college football with paying players, [NIL], and transferring, it’s an advantage to the Big 10,” Saban began. “I don’t care, you will never convince me otherwise … because people in the south would not go to the north unless you paid them.”

While Saban was being humorous, he does make an interesting point in how Big 10 programs are starting to match talent with the SEC.

In terms of NFL draft picks, there is still not a conference with better athletes than the SEC, but the Big 10 is catching up, and in the process, filling up their trophy case.