Billy Napier is in Destin for the SEC Spring Meetings this week. (File photo/UAA Communications)
Carter's Corner: Napier Discusses NIL, Saban-Fisher Spat at SEC Meetings
Tuesday, May 31, 2022 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Once upon a time, Southeastern Conference commissioner Bernie Moore reported that the league's annual spring meetings were "just a get-together" and that no important business was on the agenda.
That's according to wire reports from Point Clear, Ala., carried mostly by newspaers in Southern cities such as Memphis, Nashville, Birmingham and Biloxi.
The year: 1956.
Oh, how times have changed.
The SEC's presidents, athletic directors and coaches assembled in Destin on Tuesday for the start of meetings this week to discuss a myriad of issues, most notably concerns over the name, image and likness (NIL) era that has drasticallly altered the rules of engagement over the past year.
"This is the current dynamic we're competing in,'' Gators head coach Billy Napier said. "Right now, I think NIL is part of the game, it's part of the competition."
The issue dominated headlines in college athletics earlier this month when Alabama coach Nick Saban took a shot at Texas A&M, and Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher fired back with a rocket launcher the next day during an angry press conference.
Of course, the media gathered on Tuesday for Saban's press conference to see what the king of college football had to say.
In reality, not much.
"It seems like nobody wants to say too much about it,'' Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger told SEC Network host Paul Finebaum.
"Everybody's on their best behavior,'' Andy Staples of The Athletic told Finebaum.
While a WWE cage match between the two did not come to fruition — at least not in public view — there's always something going on at the league's annual spring get-together.
A few headlines from Tuesday, including Napier's appearance in Destin:
QUICK READS
-- Napier and Kirby Smart, a pair of former Saban assistants, respond to Fisher's vague hints about Saban's past writes Mike Rodak of AL.com.
-- Napier says staffing is in place with Gators as they turn attention to NIL strategy writes Jacob Rudner of 247Sports.com.
-- Three takeaways from Napier's SEC meetings press conference from Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times.
-- Saban laments singling out schools in NIL debate but defends comments writes Alex Scarborough of ESPN.com.
-- Saban vs. Jimbo fallout dominates first day of SEC meetings writes Matt Hayes of SaturdayDownSouth.com.
TOPICAL TWITTER
The beach is calling as Napier joins Finebaum ...
You know the Saban-Fisher spat is big when they are talking college football in New York this time of year ...
Longtime college football chronicler Pat Forde writes about the topic of the day ...
That's according to wire reports from Point Clear, Ala., carried mostly by newspaers in Southern cities such as Memphis, Nashville, Birmingham and Biloxi.
The year: 1956.
Oh, how times have changed.
The SEC's presidents, athletic directors and coaches assembled in Destin on Tuesday for the start of meetings this week to discuss a myriad of issues, most notably concerns over the name, image and likness (NIL) era that has drasticallly altered the rules of engagement over the past year.
"This is the current dynamic we're competing in,'' Gators head coach Billy Napier said. "Right now, I think NIL is part of the game, it's part of the competition."
The issue dominated headlines in college athletics earlier this month when Alabama coach Nick Saban took a shot at Texas A&M, and Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher fired back with a rocket launcher the next day during an angry press conference.
Of course, the media gathered on Tuesday for Saban's press conference to see what the king of college football had to say.
In reality, not much.
"It seems like nobody wants to say too much about it,'' Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger told SEC Network host Paul Finebaum.
"Everybody's on their best behavior,'' Andy Staples of The Athletic told Finebaum.
While a WWE cage match between the two did not come to fruition — at least not in public view — there's always something going on at the league's annual spring get-together.
A few headlines from Tuesday, including Napier's appearance in Destin:
QUICK READS
-- Napier and Kirby Smart, a pair of former Saban assistants, respond to Fisher's vague hints about Saban's past writes Mike Rodak of AL.com.
-- Napier says staffing is in place with Gators as they turn attention to NIL strategy writes Jacob Rudner of 247Sports.com.
-- Three takeaways from Napier's SEC meetings press conference from Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times.
-- Saban laments singling out schools in NIL debate but defends comments writes Alex Scarborough of ESPN.com.
-- Saban vs. Jimbo fallout dominates first day of SEC meetings writes Matt Hayes of SaturdayDownSouth.com.
TOPICAL TWITTER
The beach is calling as Napier joins Finebaum ...
Florida head coach Billy Napier joins the Paul Finebaum show live from Destin. pic.twitter.com/nOWZLnpd4u
— Rick Hurtado (@RickHurtadoPR) May 31, 2022
You know the Saban-Fisher spat is big when they are talking college football in New York this time of year ...
Nick Saban on Texas A&M spat: 'I have no problem' with Jimbo Fisher https://t.co/MWg2w4nGIt pic.twitter.com/C3Zmcsah6l
— New York Post (@nypost) May 31, 2022
Longtime college football chronicler Pat Forde writes about the topic of the day ...
Column: A subdued Nick Saban took some pointed questions and sounded a remarkably conciliatory note regarding Jimbo Fisher. Meanwhile, former Saban assistants in the SEC dodged the fray that Fisher dragged them into. https://t.co/c099D6ld2n
— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) May 31, 2022
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