Nick Saban was recently asked to name some of his favorite players to coach at Alabama.
During an appearance on “The Pivot Podcast” with Ryan Clark, Saban was prompted to pick his favorite player, but he found it difficult to choose just one.
“Julio (Jones) was great,” Saban said. “Derrick Henry. Tua (Tagovailoa). I always liked Tua. Rolando McClain. The other one I always liked was Reuben Foster.”
After leading one of the greatest dynasties in college football history at Alabama, the former head coach has now retired.
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Reasons Behind Alabama Athletics’ Nearly $28 Million Loss in FY 2024: ‘Coaching Transition’
Good evening. A recent NCAA report obtained by AL.com reveals that Alabama Athletics faced a significant financial deficit in fiscal year 2024, reporting a loss of nearly $28 million.
This report, which covers the period from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, showed the department generated $234.8 million in revenue, while expenses totaled $262.8 million, resulting in a net loss of $27.96 million.
Jessica Schingle, a UA open records and project specialist, provided an explanation for the shortfall, stating that the loss was largely attributed to one-time expenses tied to the football coaching transition.
This marks the second consecutive year Alabama has reported a deficit, although the previous year’s loss was partially explained by $14.3 million in uncounted gifts for fiscal year 2023. Despite the deficit, Alabama’s revenue saw an increase from $199.9 million in 2023 to $234.8 million in 2024, though spending also rose from $212 million to $262.8 million.
When it comes to individual programs, Alabama Football remains the financial powerhouse for the department. The football program generated $140.3 million in revenue and spent $113.8 million, yielding a surplus of $26.4 million. Notably, football coach salaries soared from $21.3 million in 2023 to $47.4 million in 2024, while recruiting expenses also jumped from $2.9 million to $5.3 million.
On the basketball front, Alabama Men’s Basketball saw an uptick in revenue, earning $21.3 million for FY 2024, including their first Final Four appearance, up from $20.6 million the previous year. With expenses at $15.3 million, the program posted a surplus of nearly $6 million, a marked improvement over last year’s surplus of $4.9 million.
Across the department, the biggest expense was coach pay and benefits, which surged to $65.3 million—a dramatic increase from $37.3 million the year prior. Additionally, support-staff pay saw a notable rise, climbing to $41.5 million, up from $38.5 million in FY 2023.
In terms of revenue sources, contributions were Alabama’s largest intake, totaling $75.3 million, a huge jump from $48.9 million in FY 2023. Of that, $53.5 million came from football, marking an increase from $42.7 million last year. Media rights were the second-largest revenue stream, bringing in $56.2 million, a modest rise from $55.6 million in 2023.
Despite the loss, the department’s overall financial growth is clear, with substantial increases in revenue from both contributions and football-related income.
