Saban not opposed to in-state games
September 10, 2008
Alabama head coach Nick Saban remains consistent that he has no problem with playing in-state, nonconference opponents.
Asked about it on the Southeastern Conference coaches’ conference call today, Saban noted he’s done it at Michigan State and LSU.
“The biggest thing is it is a game of interest to the fans,” Saban said. “It doesn do a lot to promote other schools in the state. It helps them financially and helps them in a lot of different ways.”
At Michigan State, Saban rotated games against Eastern, Western and Central Michigan. When at LSU, the Tigers played Tulane, Lafayette, Monroe, and Louisiana Tech on a rotating basis.
“The biggest negative, as a coach, is everybody expects you to win. If you don’t it could be catastrophic,” Saban said.
“I’ve never been opposed to it because it’s a game of interest for the fans on both sides. Sometimes with a 12-game schedule, it is sometimes very difficult to find 12 games of interest for the fans.”
Asked if he could see scheduling games against other Alabama schools, Saban, Forbes Magazine’s most powerful coach in sports, said, “It’s really not my decision. I’m not opposed to it, though.”
