Last month, Alabama coach Nick Saban had an idea for dealing with the problem of agents who pay college football players.
“Let’s just throw the NFL out,” Saban said.
Apparently, he has.
Multiple league source tell us that Saban has advised multiple (but perhaps not all) NFL teams that their scouts are not welcome on campus to view practices, until further notice.
There’s talk that Saban may open the doors on a limited basis. Currently, August 18 has been identified as one of the potential dates.
It makes sense for Saban to provide some access to scouts, even if it’s limited. At the end of the day, most of the kids he recruits want to play in the NFL. But if NFL teams aren’t permitted to do their due diligence at to Saban’s players, it may be harder for them to get drafted.
And, it turn, it will become harder for Saban to recruit new players.