This is an opinion column.

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The significance of Nick Saban’s career path from Alabama to broadcasting didn’t fully hit me until I listened to him speak at A-Day.

In one breath, the former coach of the Crimson Tide was telling everyone that he was just another fan attending the spring game with his family. That wasn’t completely accurate, though, because moments later, just like old times, Saban was also recruiting for Alabama at the steps of Denny Chimes. He took pictures with prospective recruits and chatted for a spell. Later in the day, Saban was on the field with recruits before the game.

There’s nothing wrong with any of that except for maybe one tiny, little detail. Isn’t Saban an on-air representative for ESPN? I don’t know if that qualifies him as a broadcast journalist, but I’m guessing he’ll be expected to be neutral when he’s on TV.

I’m not sure he can do it, but ESPN’s reputation among college-football teams and fan bases will depend on it.

Saban’s role with ESPN immediately after leaving the Capstone is a major victory for Alabama’s exposure whether Saban actively recruits for the Crimson Tide or not. Something tells me that Auburn, LSU and Tennessee, too, aren’t going to appreciate ESPN’s new College GameDay jockey mixing it up with recruits every weekend.

When Saban was a coach, every decision that he made was about improving Alabama’s chances with recruits. Is he going to be able to remove himself from that game as an analyst for ESPN? I have my doubts. Saban is forever tied to the Crimson Tide. A victory for Alabama is a victory for Saban, too, and vice versa.

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The SEC is about to be more competitive than ever. Even in retirement from coaching, Saban’s presence at ESPN will continue to give Alabama an edge over its rivals. If Saban wants to be taken seriously as an analyst of the game, he might need to distance himself from the Crimson Tide before stepping onto the set for ESPN.

Journalistic integrity doesn’t exactly lead the mission statement for ESPN, but certainly there is a conflict of interest or some kind of ethical breach when a prominent figure of the media company’s coverage of college football is also recruiting for one of the teams. Is Saban going to be repping Alabama while he’s at SEC Media Days later this summer? Does he have it in him to be critical of the Crimson Tide while maintaining an office at Bryant-Denny Stadium? Is he going to favor all of the fellow clients of sports agent Jimmy Sexton? Maybe Saban’s power to manipulate the media and his influence on college football should be fully considered before his first post-coaching gig for the Worldwide Leader.

Saban isn’t new to broadcasting, and ESPN has been massaging his image for years in preparation for Saban’s move from the sidelines to the studio. Anyone surprised that Saban joined ESPN after retiring hasn’t been paying attention. It’s almost like ESPN and Saban had been planning it for years. Instead of dealing with the changing landscape of college football in the NIL era, Saban called it quits from coaching after last season’s Rose Bowl loss to Michigan. A position as an analyst for ESPN was already waiting for him.

Saban has a great gig lined up that’s going to make him an even bigger figure nationally than when he was at Alabama. Saban’s main role with ESPN will be as an analyst on the set of College GameDay. He’ll also be doing other things like helping with ESPN’s coverage of the NFL Draft. Everything is lined up for Saban to become a nationally recognizable personality on the level of Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal.

Saban is great on TV, and ESPN is going to gain sponsors thanks to the Saban Effect. He already joined ESPN for its coverage of The Masters and cracked some great jokes. Michael Jordan has shoes. Saban’s thing is high-end automobiles. What’s next, Saban F1 Ferrari Team? I wouldn’t be surprised. After all, Saban’s empire is a highly tuned machine.

If Saban’s plan is to promote the Crimson Tide along the way, then that’s a major victory for the University of Alabama.

This spring was a special case for Saban, so it’s not exactly fair criticism to question his interaction with recruits after his speech at Denny Chimes. Per tradition, the handprints and footprints of Saban’s final team captains were cast in concrete before A-Day. Saban said some words after being introduced by Alabama radio announcer Chris Stewart.

Stewart smartly noted Saban’s involvement with ESPN, though. For Alabama fans, it was nothing. For everyone else, it could be seen as Alabama gaining an unfair advantage with recruits. Is Saban going to be a credible source of information for ESPN or is he going to be a recruiter for Alabama football with a national microphone?

Alabama has done a great job of keeping Saban close ever since his retirement. Give credit to athletics director Greg Byrne for building a strong relationship with the Sabans and then leveraging it for the university. Byrne gave Saban an office at the stadium and crafted a narrative that Saban would be helping new coach Kalen DeBoer with the transition of power.

If Saban isn’t still on the payroll of the university, then he probably should be.

SOUND OFF

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Joseph Goodman is the lead sports columnist for the Alabama Media Group, and author of the most controversial sports book ever written, “We Want Bama”.