Last year, UConn guard Shabazz Napier said he spent nights without eating as a college student. Week in, week out we hear stories about NCAA athletes getting in trouble for signing autographs at $5 a pop. Meanwhile Nick Saban, a guy who makes $7 million a year, got his house paid for by Alabama boosters.
ROLL. DAMN. TIDE.
According to AL.com, a foundation set up to “help fund athletics at UA” bought his Tuscaloosa home for $3.1 million.
“It’s not all that unusual in the world for universities to provide the housing,” said Scott Phelps, assistant secretary of the foundation. “We want to keep him happy. We think he is the best coach in America.”
Phelps said he didn’t know how the conversation started that led to the home sale, but it did not originate from within the foundation. But when the idea came to it, the foundation said “sure,” he said.
Phelps said he doesn’t know whether Saban had a mortgage on the house. It wasn’t “a big deal,” and the foundation wanted to “keep him as happy as we can,” he said.
The money for the purchase came from the foundation’s general fund, not a specific donor designated for the purchase, Phelps said.
Oh yeah, and they paid the property tax in 2013. Because why the hell not?
I mean, there’s so much to talk about here. Forget the NCAA aspect of this. Did you know that Alabama is the sixth poorest state in the United States? Did you know that 20% of Alabamans are on on food stamps? Did you know that 30% of kids in Alabama live below the poverty line?
But that’s none of my business, right Kermit?
Also, and just throwing this out there—why is ANY house in Tuscaloosa worth $3 million? Can we talk about that? Jesus.
[AL.com]
