Could Alabama one day play Alabama State or Alabama A&M in Tuscaloosa?
Maybe, asserted the relatively non-committal Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban.
“I would be very much in favor of that,” Saban said when asked about it at SEC media days in Atlanta on Tuesday.
“We’ve tried to be very supportive. Miss Terry is on the Board of Trustees at Stillman College,” Saban. “I’ve always been an advocate of playing in-state schools because I think it sort of helps them raise their level and their ability to compete, which obviously if you do that, you also contribute to how successful the players in those organizations can be.”
Alabama has never played an HBCU football in its history, though longtime rival Auburn has scheduled both Alabama State and Alabama A&M.
Tuskegee athletics director and football coach Reginald Ruffin earlier this summer proposed on Facebook that Alabama play FCS HBCUs in response to Saban’s unsubstantiated comments that Jackson State leveraged a NIL deal to recruit Travis Hunter.
Also read: This Tuskegee football coach wants Nick Saban to put HBCUs on Alabama’s schedule
Ruffin also went on to suggest that the Crimson Tide should play a rotating schedule among FCS HBCUs with a $1.5 million guaranteed payout.
“Also that conversation with the AD on having the HBCUs play all FBS universities on a rotating basis in this state. Each HBCUs will get a guaranteed payday of $3,000,000.00 to $5,000,000.00 each year,” said Ruffin. “This is a game changer. Now you are helping in state HBCU universities.”
Ruffin said under this scenario Alabama and Saban “will be the best advocate for all FCS HBCUs” in the state because Saban is a powerful figure and “people listen to you.”
“Let’s get to work Coach Saban on this,” said Ruffin.
Ruffin said he received death threats after he posted his message.
