Nick Saban’s comments about NIL and accusation of Jackson State University paying a player $1 million to attend the program (which was an inaccurate rumor) have made their way to the historical black colleges/universities circuit.
Reginald Ruffin, a former head coach at Miles College, is the new head coach and athletics director at Tuskegee University.
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According to a report from the Opelika-Auburn News, Ruffin calls out Saban and Alabama for not scheduling HBCU’s in football.
Since 1944, the Crimson Tide has not played another in-state opponent aside from Auburn. Alabama has never scheduled an HBCU program in its history, including 15 seasons under Saban. Auburn, the Crimson Tide’s in-state rival, has scheduled Alabama State and Alabama A&M. LSU has scheduled Southern for this season and Grambling State University for the 2023 season. In 2017, Arkansas hosted Florida A&M. During his five years at LSU, Saban never scheduled an HBCU opponent.
“Sometimes you say things you don’t really mean and you hurt people or loved ones in the process,” Ruffin said in a recent Facebook post per Opelika-Auburn News. “Coach Saban shouldn’t have said anything about any other coaches, team, or players. … Just say you are sorry in public and walk down to your AD’s office and say, ‘We need to play all the FCS HBCU’s in the state of Alabama, because we are the only university in the state not playing the Alabama States or Alabama A&Ms in our great state.”
Ruffin said Saban could “right a wrong” for Alabama’s athletics department if he has the Crimson Tide schedule an FCS in-state HBCU opponent on a rotating basis.
Since his comments on Saban, Ruffin said he’s received death threats on social media.
Ruffin built Miles College into a good football program, and he looks to do the same with Tuskegee.
We will see if Alabama chooses to schedule an in-state HBCU opponent.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
