Saban to offer 4-year scholarships at Bama

He must have found a loophole.

We'll find out in a couple of years whether this is a token gesture or not. I'm guessing we'll see just as many medical hardships, etc. as before, just with more elaborate excuses.

If he's serious about it, this could equalize some of the talent differential.

Good.

Since four-year scholarships are being offered independently by schools and conferences at this point (at least, that is my impression), I want to know if there are any differences between scholarships offered by different conferences/schools.  Is the wording in these scholarship "contracts" (if there is such a thing) different between the SEC and Big Ten?  Do they have different release clauses which would make it easier/harder to cut a kid loose?  Or are they all using the same contract with the same stipulations?

when it comes to scholarship offers. For the athletes' sake I hope Alabama and the other SEC schools limit forfeitures of 4-year-scholarships to academic ineligibility or serious misconduct.

Plan to stay on more than 4 years.

You can still kick them off the team - you just have to look hard enough for something that breaks the scholarship requirements.

I bet we see a lot more "team rules violations", positive drug tests, felonies that would've been misdemeanors staying felonies, etc. Plus, you know he's going to make life hell for the guys he says should leave and end up staying.

I would say more medical hardships but I don't really know how Saban will increase more and not make it more obvious than it already is....

I want to get a copy of one of these. How many asterisks? The fine print on these LOIs will read like a pharmaceutical side effect commercial.

That's all well and good until he cuts a kid after 2 because he got hurt. He will claim he meant 4 one year scholarships, renewed at his discretion.  Sure, he offered them, and then pulled said offer from the table when he needed the spot.

I seriously doubt it changes anything. This is just something that people who defend oversigning will look at and say "See, Saban offers 4-year schollies just like Big Ten schools."

I dare say that the scholarship policy at Alabama is also the policy which governs medical hardships, greyshirting, signing entire counties to the team, and telling kids that you'll offer them next year if they would just wait.

Just remember, Nick, if you offer it to one recruit, it's only just to offer the same deal to your WHOLE recruiting class...

He will still find a way to get rid of players, I bet. One-year scholarships are not attractive to every recruit so it makes since to offer four-year ones to stay competitive with all the other schools that do.

"We don't cut players," Saban said. "I don't know anyone who does. So I don't think that's an issue."

I'm interested to see if Saban follows through with this or not. I'm leaning towards the latter.

to allow over-commiting, then pull out the carpet from under kids' feet at signing day, more secretly "uncommitable" offers, so to say.  It may just push the cut line to the front of the process, since it won't be allowed in the middle anymore.

If these 4 year scholarships are as iron-clad as they sound, Michigan could actually have the highest rated group of players in the country some day. Let that sink in.

it's awfully cold here in hell.

Is this a leap year?

but if you look in reallly really small print on the bottom it states.. "Unless you suck, I will still cut you"

He says he's going to offer 4-yr scholarships.  He doesn't say he's going to offer them to everyone.  

I hope Saban chokes on them.

He won't pull a kid's scholarship.  He will pull the kids tutors off and wait for a legitimate excuse.  Don't ever think that Saban will change his ways; just his tactics.

their was a vote on this ,--10-4 the 4 sec schools against it were BAMA , LSU, Tennessee, and TAMU

On a completely unrelated note, Saban has scheduled an appointment with Dr. James Andrews as he may need shoulder surgery.

1 year at Alabama

3 years at Northern Alabama

Don't make no nevermind

Totally told the truth

Suck it haters

Love Nicky

Was he actually feeling pressure? 

This does not mean he offers four to everyone... I am guessing it is only for 5* kids that will probably not make it to a fourth year anyhow.

It doesn't mean that kids won't suddenly find themselves with no scholly on NSD.  It doesn't mean he won't have the "heart to heart" with non-producers were he tells them they aren't projected to see the field and might have more fun at a smaller school.  

All it means is that if he really wants to get rid of someone, he will have to "cross his t's and dot his i's" a little better in the paperwork.  It's really a great move on his part, because he sees that he could start losing recruits to schools that offer four years.  

When I see kids who don't see the field except in fourth quarter blowouts getting degrees from Bama, I will be a lot more convinced that he is being sincere.