Jim Harbaugh is a fire starter and Nick Saban is his first target.
The Michigan head coach is all for bringing talent up north. Prestigious schools and more opportunities in the industry are two reasons among others as to why Harbaugh is bent on doing satellite camps. Seldom are northern institutions mentioned when it comes to pure talent in college football.
He knows that Texas, Florida, Georgia and California (west coast) are breeding grounds for exceptional players, and the only way to get them would be to travel and set up events.
The Southeastern Conference strongly opposes satellite camps, as commissioner Greg Sankey banned the league’s coaches from participating.
Harbaugh’s dream was banned by the NCAA as a whole, until tables were turned in April. Coach Saban made one thing clear on satellite camps during Tuesday’s SEC spring meetings: “It’s bad for college football,” he said per ESPN College Football insider Brett McMurphy.
While Saban went on a five-minute rant comparing satellite camps to the wild, Wild west, Harbaugh responded with a jab of his own via social media.
"Amazing" to me- Alabama broke NCAA rules & now their HC is lecturing us on the possibility of rules being broken at camps. Truly "amazing."
— Coach Harbaugh (@CoachJim4UM) June 1, 2016
Former Alabama defensive line coach Bo Davis was guilty of NCAA recruiting violations, prior to resigning from the program back on April 29. The Crimson Tide hired long-time NFL assistant Karl Dunbar as his replacement.
Saban ultimately categorizes satellite camps as “ridiculous.”
“There have been no specific guidelines relative to how we’re managing control of this stuff. It’s happening outside the normal evaluation window, which means we’re taking time away from our players. We have to worry about our players doing the right things with the limited time we have them, but we’re not going to do that because we have to be somewhere else to see someone else,” Saban said.
Despite him not being angry at Harbaugh, Saban stands by his convictions of wanting what’s best for the game.
“I’m saying it’s bad for college football. Harbaugh can do whatever he wants to do if he thinks that’s what’s best. There needs to be somebody who looks out for what’s best for the game, not the SEC or the Big Ten or Jim Harbaugh. But what’s best for the game of college football. The integrity of the game,” he said.
Stephen M. Smith is a senior analyst and columnist for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @Smsmith_TDALMag.
