SCOTTSDALE, AZ – JANUARY 10: Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide addresses the media during the Head Coach Press Conference for the College Football Playoff National Championship at JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn on January 10, 2016 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)

In case you forgot, Alabama head coach Nick Saban is not a fan of satellite camps in college football. He stayed true to his previous statements regarding the most controversial offseason practice college football has to offer as he made an appearance at the SEC spring meetings Tuesday.

Before reading what Saban has to say, it is worth noting that he sits at the top of the college football world with multiple national championships and an extreme edge in recruiting on a national basis. Because of that standing in the college football world, it may be difficult for Saban to understand how valuable satellite camps can be for programs lacking the standing of Alabama, or the kids lacking the talent to go to a place like Alabama.

From SEC Country:

“Anybody can have a camp now,” Saban said. “If they have a prospect, they can have a camp and then you’re expected to go to that camp and then they can use you to promote their camp because Ohio State is coming, Alabama is coming, whoever else is coming. Somebody sponsors a camp, they pay them the money. What do they do with the money? And who makes sure the kid paid to go to the camp? I mean, this is the Wild Wild West at its best. There’s been no specific guidelines relative to how we’re managing and controlling this stuff. It’s happening outside our normal evaluation window, which means we’re taking time away from our players.”

If Saban is referring to the Wild Wild West film starring Will Smith, then yes, we are all doomed. He’s not, and we’ll all be perfectly fine. This is Saban just going off in his typical Saban style to express his disgust with something he does not see the value in. Saban also thinks smaller schools are using big-name programs coming in as guests to their advantage. Um, duh. That’s part of the deal and the appeal to many of these camps.

“All you’re doing is allowing all these other people that we spend all of our time at the NCAA saying, you can’t recruit through a third party. You can’t be involved with third-party people and that’s exactly what you’re doing, creating all these third parties that are going to get involved with the prospects and all that. And who gets exposed on that? I go to a camp and I’m talking to some guy I don’t know from Adam’s house cat and he’s representing some kid because he put the camp on, and then I’m in trouble for talking to this guy? And who even knows if the guy paid to go to the camp. Is the NCAA going to do that? I mean, we do that at our camp. We have people responsible. They’re called compliance folks. What kind of compliance people do we have at these camps?”

Saban expressing some concerns about the satellite camp practices is fine, and he does serve up some valid points that are worth addressing in the months and year to come. But he also lacks a full perspective on the topic, as discussed above. Instead, he goes on a long rant about how horrible satellite camps are.

There are some valid concerns with the NCAA’s relaxed stance on satellite camps, a 180-degree turn from the ban previously voted in by the Division I council. While it may be a free-for-all now, there is probably a good chance the NCAA comes together to reform the satellite camp a little bit with some mild structure and limitations on what can and cannot be done in the future.

It is also worth noting that Alabama will have coaches attending two satellite camps in Michigan and Alabama. For a coach who is so anti-satellite camps, Saban is just as guilty as the next head coach.

[Sports Illustrated, SEC Country]

About Kevin McGuire

Contributor to Athlon Sports and The Comeback. Previously contributed to NBCSports.com. Host of the Locked On Nittany Lions Podcast. FWAA member and Philadelphia-area resident.