• Loading stock data...
Friday, January 9, 2026

Alabama Makes Nick Saban Highest-Paid NCAA Coach, Again

  • Saban will make more than $90 million over eight years.
  • He’s again the highest-paid coach in college football, as well as college sports.
Nick Saban highest paid college football head coach.
Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports

Earlier this year, Alabama’s Nick Saban didn’t just lose the national championship. He also lost his seat as the highest-paid coach in college sports.

But on Tuesday, the University of Alabama’s Board of Trustees reinstalled him on the throne.

The board approved a one-year extension and raise on his contract that will run until 2030, paying out more than $90 million in total.

  • The contract includes a $305,000 base salary, as well as hefty “talent fees” and bonuses that bring Saban’s annual compensation above $10 million.
  • Saban will make $10.7 million in his first year, and $12.7 in his last.

Saban has already racked up a total of nine figures while coaching the Crimson Tide, as AL.com calculated. His new contract, if paid in full, will bring his complete earnings to around $200 million.

He now makes more than Georgia’s Kirby Smart, who had the largest salary for only a matter of months after his contract was raised following his College Football Playoff victory.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Miami Earns $20M With CFP National Championship Trip

No other power conference allows schools to keep all CFP prize money.

Demond Williams Walks Back Transfer Talk, to Stay at Washington

Washington threatened legal action to force him to honor his rev-share contract.

Ole Miss Survived Kiffin Coaching Chaos to Make CFP Semifinal

Multiple coaches have gone back and forth between Ole Miss and LSU.
Aug 31, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer talks with ESPN’s Taylor McGregor for a post-game interview after the fourth quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Netflix Eyeing Rising Star Taylor McGregor

The versatile reporter covers college football, MLB, and UFL for ESPN.

Featured Today

Hockey in Florida Was Once a Risk. Now It’s Thriving

The state of Florida has become a traditional—and highly lucrative—market.
Dec 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts after scoring a basket against the Detroit Pistons during the second half at Crypto.com Arena
January 4, 2026

Why Pro Sports Team Valuations Will Keep Climbing in 2026

Asset scarcity and increasing media-rights deals underpin soaring valuations.
Imagn Images/Front Office Sports
January 2, 2026

FOS Crystal Ball: Predictions for the Business of Sports in 2026

Here’s what FOS journalists think could be on the horizon.
Heated Rivalry (L to R) - Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov and Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander in Episode 104 of Heated Rivalry. Cr. Sabrina Lantos © 2025
December 24, 2025

Hockey Needed Some Virality. Then Came ‘Heated Rivalry’

No one was prepared for the Canadian show’s smash success.
Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning and Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti shake hands with Gary Stokan on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, during a coaches' press conference ahead of the College Football Playoff Peach Bowl game at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

Peach Bowl CEO: ‘We’ve Lost the Mission’ of College Sports

The Peach Bowl CEO is wary of private equity’s entry into college sports.
January 7, 2026

CFP Coaches Thriving—and Cashing In—As Nick Saban Disciples

Head coaches of the four remaining CFP teams had stints under Nick Saban.
Dec 13, 2025; Inglewood, CA, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. (2) is forced out of bounds by Boise State Broncos defensive back Jeremiah Earby (6) after a catching a pass in the second half of the LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium.
January 7, 2026

Washington Considers Suing Former QB Demond Williams

Washington wants to hold Williams accountable for certain buyout provisions.
Sponsored

ESPN Edge Innovation Conference 2025: Inside the Technology Shaping the Future of..

At ESPN Edge Innovation Conference 2025, ESPN showcased how AI, immersive tech, and a rebuilt direct-to-consumer platform are redefining the future of sports media.
Dec 31, 2025; Arlington, TX, USA; Miami Hurricanes offensive lineman Jaden Wilkerson (71) walks off the field after the 2025 Cotton Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at AT&T Stadium.
January 7, 2026

ACC Only Power Conference Giving CFP Teams 100% of Payout

Big Ten, Big 12 share distributions equally; SEC has a hybrid model.
exclusive
January 7, 2026

Mark Cuban Increases His Indiana Football Spending for Transfer Portal

Cuban graduated from Indiana in 1981. 
Sep 13, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) passes in the first half against the Central Michigan Chippewas at Michigan Stadium.
January 6, 2026

Bryce Underwood to Stay at Michigan for Sophomore Season

Underwood led the Wolverines to 9–4 as a true freshman.
Nov 1, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Brendan Sorsby (2) warms up before the game against the Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
January 5, 2026

Million-Dollar QBs Dominate College Football’s Transfer Portal Window

A single transfer portal window is running Jan. 2–16.