As Nick Saban testified before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee on June 3 about NIL regulation, the former Alabama coach found himself branded as a "hypocrite" on The Paul Finebaum Show by a longtime superfan.

“Nobody loves Nick Saban more than me on this show, but I keep it real. Nick Saban is a hypocrite,” said one of Finebaum Show's most colorful callers, Legend, on Wednesday.

Saban has been one of the strongest voices backing the Protect College Sports Act, but his support for the legislation has left him at odds with some of his fans.

“He sat right there and told them folks, ‘Let me tell you about Texas A&M and (former coach) Jimbo (Fisher).’ No, Nick. The only reason you said that was that you were trying to get more money, so you could outspend Jimbo and get the five-star player,” Legend emphasized.

Saban’s Senate committee testimony backing the Cruz-Cantwell bill was intended to build momentum for the proposed reforms. However, instead, it has sparked backlash over the earnings he has made throughout his career.

Upon listening to Legend’s side of the story, Paul Finebaum agreed to his assessment, saying, “You’re not (lying). You’re telling me the truth. I regretfully have to agree with you.”

However, when contacted later by the AL.com team, he gave a much more balanced response.

“Legend is our most famous caller, and in the many years he has called, he has been 100 percent behind Coach Saban - as every other Bama fan. So I was initially gobsmacked by what he said,” Finebaum told AL.com.

That said, following the severe backlash from concerned individuals, Saban’s daughter has come forward to issue a public statement.

Nick Saban’s Daughter Responds As Criticism of Her Father Grows

As the backlash intensified, his daughter, Kristen Saban, stepped in with a lengthy explanation on her Instagram, defending her father.

“The issue is whether the current NIL system is sustainable for college athletics as a whole, NOT about how much coaches make,” Kristen wrote. “Most people don’t realize that football revenue funds far more than football. It helps support women’s sports, Olympic sports, golf, tennis, swimming, gymnastics, softball, baseball, track and field, and countless opportunities for student-athletes who will never make millions.”

Kristen highlighted that her father is not against athletes making money, but rather "what happens when NIL becomes an unrestricted bidding war with no meaningful guardrails."

While Saban believes the government shouldn't micromanage college athletes or limit their earning potential, he does want authorities to intervene in NIL deals to protect the integrity of the system.

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore