Saban to offer 4-year scholarships at Bama
Apparently Coach Saban will be offering 4-year scholarships at Alabama... Surprising and interesting...
Thoughts?
February 28th, 2012 at 6:01 PM ^
He must have found a loophole.
February 29th, 2012 at 12:15 PM ^
Now he's gonna convince Ben to kill Jacob with a knife
February 28th, 2012 at 6:01 PM ^
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.
February 28th, 2012 at 6:01 PM ^
Good.
February 28th, 2012 at 6:08 PM ^
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?
February 28th, 2012 at 6:15 PM ^
The scholarships are uniform across the NCAA, with the NCAA authorizing conferences to offer schools the option of longer term deals now.
Whether the wording is different between a four-year agreement in the SEC and Big Ten is different, I don't know for sure; I doubt it, though.
February 28th, 2012 at 6:10 PM ^
February 28th, 2012 at 6:10 PM ^
February 28th, 2012 at 6:41 PM ^
This was my first thought.
February 28th, 2012 at 6:11 PM ^
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....
February 28th, 2012 at 6:13 PM ^
February 28th, 2012 at 6:16 PM ^
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.
February 28th, 2012 at 6:18 PM ^
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."
February 28th, 2012 at 6:36 PM ^
February 28th, 2012 at 6:24 PM ^
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.
February 28th, 2012 at 6:27 PM ^
"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.
February 28th, 2012 at 6:33 PM ^
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.
February 28th, 2012 at 8:14 PM ^
Pushing the cut line to the front of the process makes a huge difference. You don't have 2 years to evaluate a player to decide to cut him. You only have his high school senior season to go on. That's a lot more guess-work.
February 28th, 2012 at 6:35 PM ^
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.
February 28th, 2012 at 6:44 PM ^
February 28th, 2012 at 6:38 PM ^
it's awfully cold here in hell.
February 28th, 2012 at 7:16 PM ^
nvm, you edited it.
February 28th, 2012 at 8:49 PM ^
February 28th, 2012 at 6:45 PM ^
February 28th, 2012 at 8:07 PM ^
Yeah, we will be able to get some serious mgopoints this year because of the extra day.
February 28th, 2012 at 6:47 PM ^
but if you look in reallly really small print on the bottom it states.. "Unless you suck, I will still cut you"
February 28th, 2012 at 6:50 PM ^
Since many people on this board think Saban's old scholarship possibilities were a huge part of his success, that means those same posters will now predict Alabama will start to take a swan dive in wins now, right?
Yeah. We'll see how that goes.
February 28th, 2012 at 6:53 PM ^
Swan Dive, no.
Exponential Decay, I hope
February 28th, 2012 at 6:55 PM ^
As long as you ignore the part where everyone is saying he will find a way around theses restrictions, then sure. Otherwise, that's not going to do anything with his oversigning (which is a huge part of his success).
February 28th, 2012 at 6:58 PM ^
He says he's going to offer 4-yr scholarships. He doesn't say he's going to offer them to everyone.
February 28th, 2012 at 7:02 PM ^
I hope Saban chokes on them.
February 28th, 2012 at 7:41 PM ^
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.
February 28th, 2012 at 7:42 PM ^
their was a vote on this ,--10-4 the 4 sec schools against it were BAMA , LSU, Tennessee, and TAMU
February 28th, 2012 at 7:46 PM ^
On a completely unrelated note, Saban has scheduled an appointment with Dr. James Andrews as he may need shoulder surgery.
February 28th, 2012 at 8:12 PM ^
1 year at Alabama
3 years at Northern Alabama
Don't make no nevermind
Totally told the truth
Suck it haters
Love Nicky
February 28th, 2012 at 9:07 PM ^
February 28th, 2012 at 8:20 PM ^
Was he actually feeling pressure?
February 28th, 2012 at 9:12 PM ^
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.
February 29th, 2012 at 9:20 AM ^
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.